


I Knew Him When

by CMBYN_Obsessed



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Acting Class AU, Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Armie is a barista, Blow Jobs, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, New York City, No Liz!, Slow Burn, Timmy lives at home still, all the tropes!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 89,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24137347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMBYN_Obsessed/pseuds/CMBYN_Obsessed
Summary: Timmy is a talented high school student whose acting teacher recommends he switch from the teen class to the advanced adult class. It's his first day, and he is paired up with Armie Hammer, the star actor of the class who is NOT happy to have to work with this young new kid.Timmy is 18 (but, of course, looks much younger); Armie is 22.
Relationships: Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer
Comments: 1177
Kudos: 765





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes when you have writer's block, it helps to write.... anything. This is my anything. We'll see what it turns into. 
> 
> Also, I know I often say that a work of mine is barely edited, but this work really, truly is barely edited. So.... forgive any and all errors!
> 
> Thank you! 
> 
> xoxox

I Knew Him When

Chapter One

Armie rushed through the throng of people clogging the Chelsea sidewalk, irrationally annoyed at every person in his path. Didn’t they realize that he was ten minutes late for acting class, through no fault of his own? He had been stopped by Gary, his boss at the coffee shop, just as he had been about to leave for the day. He had explained to Gary several times in the past that he had acting class on Tuesdays and Thursdays immediately after his shift ended. Obviously that fact had slipped Gary’s mind as he blathered on to Armie about the proper way to clean the cappuccino maker (apparently someone, _not_ Armie, had been neglectful in this duty). Armie was finally able to slip out after pretending to listen for several minutes, with no time to spare.

Normally, Armie wouldn’t care that much about getting to class a few minutes late, but Gretchen, his instructor, had announced at the end of class on Tuesday that they would be working in dyads today. That meant that if he got to class late, he would be stuck working with whoever had not yet partnered up. In other words, the dregs of the class. And that would _not do_.

Armie was the best actor in Gretchen’s advanced Tuesday/Thursday class: he knew it; several of the other students had told him so; even Gretchen was quick with a compliment of his technique. He was skilled in his emoting; he was quick-witted when it came to improvisation; and, above all, he was charismatic and had great stage-presence. There were only a handful of people in class that could match him in pair exercises. If he got stuck with anyone else, the entire class would be a waste.

Armie reached the building only five minutes late; he breathed a sigh of relief that he had been able to make up some time en-route. He ran up the three flights of stairs to the large loft where the class took place, and yanked open the door. His heart sank as he saw that people were already milling about, claiming a space in the large room to work with their partner. Everyone had already paired up.

Gretchen looked up when the door opened and beckoned Armie over to where she was standing in the corner of the room, near the piano. A skinny kid with a backpack and baggy jeans who looked to be no older than 14 hovered next to her, fidgeting uncomfortably. _Was it ‘bring your awkward nephew to work’ day?_ Armie wondered, his irritability getting the best of him. He walked over to Gretchen with a sigh, glancing around the room to see if there was a miracle that he had missed someone to pair up with.

“Armie! Perfect! Come here, come here. You can partner with Timmy. Timmy, this is Armie Hammer, one of the strongest students in our class. Armie, this is Timmy Chalamet. He is starting today from the teen class.”

Armie gave Timmy a somewhat insincere smile, then turned to Gretchen with a puzzled look, not wanting to offend Timmy, but also thoroughly confused.

“Teen class?”

Gretchen beamed like a proud mama bird. “Yes, Timmy has done quite a bit of stage and commercial work, and really needed a more advanced class. I recommended that he start coming to work with this group.”

“Oh. Great,” Armie responded unenthusiastically, hoping that his aggravation at the appearance of this young teen in _his_ advanced acting class was not obvious. There was no way he belonged here. What was Gretchen thinking? And now Armie had to be paired with him for an entire class? Armie could barely suppress an eye roll.

He glanced back at Timmy, who seemed to stand up straighter when he caught Armie’s eye on him. He gave a tight, closed mouth smile with a small shrug.

“Ready to start?” he asked. Armie had to give the kid credit; he met Armie’s gaze, and Armie could sense the effort he was making at not giving in to his nerves. He noticed Timmy’s fist clenching and unclenching, and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips so quickly it was almost imperceptible.

Armie turned back to ask Gretchen what exercise they were starting with, but she had already moved on to speak with a different group of actors.

_Great,_ Armie moaned to himself, _Now I’m really stuck._

He turned back to Timmy, who had let his confident façade drop for moment. He was biting his bottom lip and looked thoroughly worried. Armie took pity on the kid and gave him a more genuine smile.

“Sure. As ready as I will ever be.”

*****

Timmy had always been a naturally sweet, humble kid. Doing commercials when he was 6 hadn’t changed that. Getting a guest role on Law & Order at age ten hadn’t changed that. Rapping and dancing as his alter ego, Lil Timmy Tim, to hundreds of screaming fellow students during his school’s talent show hadn’t changed that. Even starring in an actual off-Broadway play last summer hadn’t changed that. Deep down, he was still that same shy, slightly insecure, and super kind boy that he had always been.

What _had_ changed in the last year or so was his ability to hide his inner-self behind a mask of confidence that sometimes flirted with arrogance when the situation called for it. He donned this mask whenever he needed it, which was often: whenever he performed; for every audition; when talking to anyone he was interested in as more than a friend; even during acting class. Unfortunately, there were still times when his façade failed him, even though he had been using it for over a year now. Usually it happened when he was caught off-guard, or had found himself in an unusually stressful situation. His disguise would slip and his true feelings- -fear, insecurity, nervousness, anger—would peek out. Usually only for a moment or two; only until Timmy could grab it and pull his mask back on frantically with both hands.

Such was the case on the first day of his new acting class. His acting coach Gretchen had approached Timmy at the end of last week’s class. He was a few months off a run as the lead in an off-Broadway show and, to be honest, he really didn’t think that he was getting much from these classes with other 15-to-19 year olds (whose experience consisted mostly of school plays and a handful of commercials) anymore. Timmy did not necessarily consider himself a great actor, but he knew that he worked hard and that he took his craft very seriously; much more seriously than most of the other kids in the class.

So when Gretchen had told him that she thought he was ready for an adult class—and not just the level 1 adult class, but actually the advanced intensive class—he was relieved and excited. And more than a little terrified. He had argued that perhaps he wasn’t ready, but she was insistent.

“Timmy,” she started, “not only are you one of the most talented and professional actors I have ever worked with, you are also the most generous. You elevate the work of any actor that you share a scene with. You’ve been ready for this class for almost a year now, but I wanted to wait until you were 18. Now, it’s going to be intimidating, working with people in their 20’s and 30’s, but you are just as good as any of them. Maybe better. Do you believe that?”

She looked into Timmy’s eyes, wanting him to see himself the way she saw him. He nodded hesitantly; if Gretchen thought he was ready, then maybe he really was.

Or so he believed until he was actually standing in the middle of a practice room full of loud, dramatic, high-strung millennials, being soundly ignored while they bustled about, pairing up for the day’s first exercise. Timmy valiantly tried to make eye contact with literally anyone as they passed by, but everyone seemed to already have a partner in mind and paid him no attention.

Gretchen suddenly noticed that he had yet to find a partner, and walked over with a motherly smile on her face. “Timmy, who can we get for you to work with? Let me see...”

She laid a gently hand on his shoulder and was scanning the room when the hallway door suddenly swung open, and a Norse god of a man rushed in in a panic.

Timmy blinked at the sight. He was used to working with beautiful woman and handsome men in this industry, but this guy? This _man_ … was in a class of his own. Well over 6 feet tall, dark blond hair, chiseled jaw, and just the right amount of stubble to make him look breathtakingly rugged. Gretchen gestured to him and called him over (Armie? Was that his name?), and Timmy saw as he got closer that, in addition to all his other amazing physical traits, he also had the most gorgeous blue eyes Timmy had ever seen in his life.

Armie was suddenly next to him, towering over him actually, as Gretchen introduced them and explained Timmy’s special circumstances. Timmy realized with a start that he needed to get his shit together. This was his class too, and he had every right to be here. He had earned his spot, and he wasn’t going to be frightened away, even by this sexy Viking named Armie. He straightened his posture, reapplied his mask of self-assurance, and gave Armie the most sincere smile he could muster.

“Ready to start?” he asked, hoping the faux-confidence in his voice did not expose the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Armie nodded, seemingly resigned to working with Timmy, but very obviously still not happy with the situation.

“As ready as I will ever be,” he replied. Timmy started walking to an empty spot near the side of the room, but not before catching Armie rolling his eyes and sighing with annoyance.

_What a fucking great start._


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys pair up in class for an acting exercise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am amazed at the reception this fic has received. Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm! I have a lot of ideas for how it will go.... a nice sloooow burn. I churned this out pretty quickly, so please forgive any typos!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and for all your Kudos and especially your comments!
> 
> xoxox

Chapter Two

Armie followed the kid over to the side of the cavernous room, grabbing two folding chairs for them on the way. He was irritated that he was stuck with someone who appeared to have not yet hit puberty, and he found it quite hard to believe that the kid deserved a place here, as Gretchen had insisted he did.

He set up the two chairs facing each other about five feet apart, then fell into his, crossing one leg over the opposite knee. The boy grabbed the back of his chair and pulled it another foot away from Armie.

_What the fuck._ Armie had to stop himself from rolling his eyes for the third time that morning.

The boy threw his backpack on the floor, then sat down across from Armie, slouched, his arms crossed, his legs spread far apart. The two eyed each other warily, not speaking. The room around them was buzzing with the lively noise of the other actors working on the day’s opening exercise—shouting, crying, laughing. Armie realized that he was going to have to be the one to break this impasse. He sat up and cleared his throat.

“So how old are you, anyway? 15, 16?” He thought that these were fair guesses.

The boy gave Armie a death glare, then intoned, “I’m 18.” The _asshole_ went unsaid but was heavily implied.

_I guess I deserved that,_ Armie conceded to himself.

The boy leaned forward a bit. “How old are you? Like 30?”

_And that._

Armie threw him a sarcastic smirk. “Hilarious. I’m 22.”

He leaned forward as well, his elbows on his knees. Enough bullshitting. “So, we should get started. I pay way too much money for this class to waste time arguing with you… um…”

_What the hell was the kid’s name?_

“Timmy. My name… is _Timmy_. And we’re supposed to be doing Person at the Bus Stop for a warm-up for 15 minutes, and then we have to pick a two-person dialogue to perform together next Tuesday.”

Armie’s stomach dropped. Together? Next Tuesday? He thought the partner work was just for today.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Shit, he hadn’t meant to say that out-loud.

Timmy sat up straight. “Seriously? You’ve got a problem with that?”

Armie opened his mouth to apologize, but Timmy put up a hand. “Forget it. Let’s just do the exercise. Maybe you can ask Gretchen at the end of class to switch partners if you’re so fucking unhappy. But I am a professional and can work with anyone, so can we please start.”

Timmy pressed his lips together, as if he were trying to stop himself from saying more. Armie had to admit that he was impressed that the kid… Timmy… was standing up for himself.

“Yeah. Sorry.” He took a deep breath and scrubbed a hand over his eyes. He could do this. Apparently, he didn’t have a choice. “I’ll go first if you want.”

It was the least he could do. Timmy shrugged, not willing to give Armie the satisfaction of a nod or smile. Armie stood up and stretched, waiting for Timmy to give him a character and scenario.

Timmy looked at him for a few second, thinking, his eyes narrowing. “You’re a sad old man, only a few months from retirement, and your company just told you today that you’re being laid off. You’re going home to tell your long-suffering wife that you’ve lost your job.”

He smirked at Armie. “Or does that scenario hit too close to home?”

Armie decided to let the dig pass; he stood up to prepare for the exercise. He felt a bit unsteady, off his typical game. He chastised himself for letting this kid get to him, mentally shaking it off and refocusing on the scenario at hand.

“Give me a count down,” he instructed Timmy, trying to buy some time.

“3… 2… 1… _go_.” 

Armie sat back down on the chair, putting himself in the mental state of a lonely, rejected old man. The rejected part he could identify with. He felt himself move into the headspace of how he had felt when he was most recently turned-down, yet again, for a coveted part in a production. Or how he had felt the last time he spoke to his mom on the phone, her voice icy and full of judgement. Or how he had felt when he admitted to his father that he had decided not to go to college, choosing instead to pursue an acting career that never quite took off, and his father had answered with words colored with displeasure.

Armie let his body wilt; his head fell heavily into his hands as he sighed with disappointment in himself. Honestly, he didn’t have to act much to get into the proper head space. He slowly rubbed his chin as if deep in thought, and his eyes began to well the slightest bit.

Suddenly, Gretchen’s voice reverberated across the room. “Time! How did everyone do? Please give each other some feedback, then find a two-person dialogue to start working on for Tuesdays class. I’ll come around and check on each pair.”

Armie looked up at Timmy, who was staring at him with concern. “Are you ok?” he asked.

Armie pulled himself together enough to scoff at Timmy. “Of course I’m ok. I was acting. You should try it some time.”

He shook off the residual feelings left from the exercise. This was always the hard part for Armie, having to access his own complicated emotions for a part of scene, then put them back somewhere safe and distant when the scene was over.

Timmy blinked a few times. “Oh, yeah. Of course. Well, wow, that was really good. I thought that you were genuinely upset.”

Armie shot him a tight smile. “Thanks. So… you’re getting off easy, since we ran out of time.”

Timmy shrugged. “I guess? I wouldn’t have minded going though. I mean, that’s why we are here right?”

Timmy rubbed his palms on his jeans, looking around the room at what the rest of the class was doing. “So, I think we need to pick a scene? Unless, you’re going to, you know, talk to Gretchen about working with someone else.” He avoided Armie’s eyes while he waited for an answer.

He looked so uncomfortable that Armie began to feel like douche bag for being cause of it. Sure, he would rather work with one of the more seasoned students in the class, but he supposed he could give the kid a chance. It was one scene, right?

“That’s alright. I guess we can work together. This once.” He felt that he was being pretty generous, but Timmy looked at him and scowled.

“Gee, thanks. Don’t do me any fucking favors.”

Timmy took out his phone and started scrolling impatiently. “Alright, what’s a good short scene with two players? Gretchen had said ten minutes or less, and we’ve got five days to learn it. Think you can handle that, old man?”

Armie opened his mouth to give a snarky reply, but then shut it. He’d give the kid a break… this time.

Timmy began rattling off possible dramatic scenes with two actors: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead; Hamlet; Angels in America; Fences. Armie didn’t really want to admit it, but he was impressed that Timmy knew so many off the top of his head. Armie got on his phone, and started digging as well, and eventually they were able to agree on a pivotal scene from Of Mice and Men. Armie felt the first glimmer of hope that maybe this wouldn’t be a complete waste of time, after all.

The rest of class flew by, as they decided who would play what, which part of the scene they would perform, and did a quick read through of the lines. Armie stole a few quick glances at Timmy while he read. It was a very informal reading, but Armie could see his potential in just those few lines. He begrudgingly admitted to himself that maybe their scene would be better than he initially thought.

Gretchen stopped by as they were doing the read-through and smiled approvingly.

“I _knew_ you two would work well together,” she observed, and moved on to the next pair. Armie and Timmy glanced at each other as she walked away, then immediately looked away. What did Gretchen know?

At the end of class, as they were packing up their things and putting away their chairs, Armie approached Timmy.

“So, we need to get together at least once to practice before Tuesday. What’s your schedule like this weekend?”

Timmy finished shrugging on his backpack. “I’ve got school tomorrow ‘til 3. I can do it after that, or Saturday?”

“I work Saturday morning. Why don’t we do it tomorrow night. My place?”

“Well, I live with my parents so….”

Armie rolled his eyes. “Of course you do. Well, my roommate could be there, but it should fine.”

They exchanged numbers and Armie gave Timmy his address. They planned for Timmy to go over after dinner the next night. As Armie headed out into the night, he had a sudden and totally unexpected feeling of anticipation at working with Timmy again.

_What the fuck?_ he thought about the kid for the second time that day. He quickly and wholly dismissed the feeling as headed to the pub where he was meeting his friends for a drink. No need to unpack that tonight.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie and Timmy separately meet-up with friends to discuss the class... and each other.
> 
> A short interlude before their Friday night rehearsal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had planned on having their rehearsal in this chapter, but ultimately decided it was long enough with the two conversations. I will start chapter 4 soon.
> 
> Thank you all, as always, for being loyal readers! I appreciate your sweet, thoughtful comments so much!
> 
> xoxoxo

Chapter Three

Armie tossed an offhand “See you tomorrow night” over his shoulder at Timmy as he left, then was gone without a second glance. Timmy watched him leave, his stomach in his throat. As soon as Armie was out the door and out of sight, Timmy sunk into a nearby chair to wait for his pulse to slow to a normal pace.

The class had been, without contest, one of the most stressful experiences of Timmy’s short life. More stressful than waiting to hear if he had gotten into LaGuardia’s performing arts program. Even more stressful than his first day on the set of Law & Order. Maybe not more stressful than opening night of Prodigal Son… but it came close.

He had been nervous about coming to this class to begin with, being so much younger than the other students and starting in the middle of the session. And then coming in to first be ignored by the other students, and then eventually to be paired up with a man who might actually be the best-looking person he had ever met in person—those things alone would have made Timmy pretty anxious. But then… to have that same guy—Armie—act so rudely, to be condescending and dismissive of him, as if Timmy were a fly in his soup or some other minuscule thing ruining his day? It had been absolutely mortifying. 

But Timmy couldn’t show it. He was a member of this class now, and he refused to be scared away by some asshole who obviously thought that he was better than Timmy just because he was older, and taller, and better-looking. And from what Timmy could see, he was pretty talented to boot. Timmy deserved to be there as much as any of them did, or at least that’s what he kept repeating to himself to stop from fleeing the room in tears. He _thought_ he had pulled it off, as Armie had warmed up to him the tiniest bit by the end of class, but he couldn’t be sure.

_And I have to see him again tomorrow night,_ Timmy thought to himself, the knot in his stomach tightening again. He took a deep breathe, trying to dissipate some of his anxiety. When he stood up to leave, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face Gretchen who was sporting an enormous grin.

“So, how did your first day go? I’m sorry you got a late start, but it must have been worth it since you got to work with Armie, right?’” The wide smile on her face seemed to indicate that she couldn’t fathom working with Armie being anything other than a _fantastic_ experience. Timmy stared at her for a moment, considering the most diplomatic response. He decided to stick with a facts-only approach.

“Um, yeah. We, uh, we’re going to do a scene from _Of Mice and Men._ We’re meeting tomorrow night to practice.”

Gretchen was thrilled to hear this information. “Oh, that is perfect! You and Armie will be excellent scene partners. I think you will really balance each other out.”

Timmy nodded as she spoke, as if he had any idea at all what she was talking about. Why would she possibly think that? When she was done talking, he kept nodding, then eventually answered, “Well, I hope? Anyway, thank you again for the recommendation for me to start this class, Gretchen. I really appreciate it. See you Tuesday.”

“See you Tuesday, Timmy!”

Timmy got down to the street and immediately pulled out his phone to text his best friend, Will. He needed help to process what had just happened with someone he trusted. Will was always his first go-to person for that sort of thing.

He messaged Will, asking if he was around. Will sent an immediate thumbs-up with the message _I’m home. Come on over._

Twenty minutes later, Timmy was lying on Will’s bed, giving a blow-by-blow account of his encounter with Armie at drama class. Will sat on his desk chair, listening intently to each detail, nodding encouragement as Timmy vented, interrupting at times to ask clarifying questions or give commentary.

“So he’s hot and tall? _How_ tall is he? Oh shit, that _is_ tall.”

“15 or 16? Well, that’s not too far off the mark, dude. Ow! Don’t fucking kick me!”

“Man, what a dick! So, did he ask for another partner?”

“Oh fuck, so he was actually starting to cry? Duuuuude. Is he that good of an actor, or is he, like secretly sensitive? What? You never know!”

Timmy ended his saga by telling Will how they had made plans to meet at Armie’s apartment the next night to rehearse their dialogue, pulling a pillow over his face at the conclusion to communicate just how utterly dreadful the entire predicament really was.

Will sat at his desk, nodding and thinking over the situation. Finally he spoke.

“But… he is HOT, _right_?? Even if he is the biggest asshole ever, I can’t live in a world where you think going over to a hot guy’s house is a bad thing. Is he straight? And if so, like _how_ straight?”

Timmy threw the pillow off his face and sat up to glare at Will. “He is _so_ straight, Will. Like, ‘ex-frat-brother, probably has sex with ten girls a week’ straight.”

“Did he _say_ that? Did he mention a girlfriend? Or a _wife_?”

“No, Will.” Timmy rolled his eyes extravagantly. “We didn’t have that kind of conversation. He was too busy insulting me. Anyway, I can just tell. I have impeccable gaydar.”

Will had to scoff at statement, as he had seen it proven untrue on countless occasions. However, Timmy’s gaydar usually had a tendency to provide False Positives: Timmy falling for a straight guy that he was sure was gay. Tim believing a gay man to be straight was unprecedented, so he was most likely right about this Armie.

“Well, like you said, it’s one night, one scene. Just go to his house and be you. Everyone _loves_ you; it’s a fail-safe strategy. Be the consummate professional that you always are, kick some drama-ass, and leave him begging for more.”

“I can do that,” Timmy said, more to himself than to Will. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

*****

Across the city, Armie was out having pizza and beer with his best friend and roommate, Nick, not really thinking too much about Timmy at all. They had recounted their mornings at their respective places of work (Nick hated being a waiter almost as much as Armie hated being a barista, but neither had ‘made it’ yet in their chosen professions of actor and playwright), and then discussed the asshole who just moved in next door with a yappy dog, who they were sure was there illegally.

Finally, Nick thought to ask about Armie’s class.

“Still worth the price you’re paying for it?”

Armie took a swig of his beer, remembering that events of that day’s class. “Yeah, no, it’s good. I mean, usually. But today…”

He stopped, not really sure where he wanted to go with that sentence.

Nick looked up expectantly. He gave Armie a second to finish his thought, but when it became apparent that Armie wasn’t going to continue, he prodded. “Today... what? What happened?”

Armie put down his beer bottle with a thud, suddenly uncomfortable with his memory of the class. How he had treated the kid, his part in their interactions. “Nothing, just… there’s this new kid in the class, and I got partnered with him for warm-ups, and now we have to do a scene together.”

Nick tilted his head, confused. “What do you mean, ‘kid?’ Aren’t you in the adult class? Why are they pairing you with a child?”

Armie shook his head. “No, he’s 18. He just looks a lot younger. Gretchen moved him up from the teen class because I guess she sees great potential in him or something. Which is FINE, but just don’t pair him with me.” Armie scowled a bit, still irritated by Gretchen’s decision.

Nick threw his bottle cap at Armie. “You’re such a dick, you know that? I hope you didn’t make him feel bad.”

Armie didn’t answer, immediately confirming Nick’s suspicions.

“Dude. You are a real grade-A douche bag.” Nick loved his friend, but still sometimes found it hard to believe what a jerk Armie could be. Especially since her knew that, deep down, Armie was a really good person who would do anything for a friend. It was his own insecurities that brought out an ugly side to his personality. Nick, as his best friend, knew this better than anyone.

Armie threw his head back in self-disgust. “I really am.”

Nick had to laugh. Sometimes it was good for his friend to be taken down a few notches. “Don’t worry. You’re Armie Hammer. He’ll forgive you. Everyone always does. So tell me… is he at least cute?”

Armie looked up and almost smiled for the first time since they started talking about Timmy. “I didn’t actually notice. But also… yeah, he kind of is.”

Armie had not wanted to admit it to himself, but after he found out that Timmy was of legal age, he had allowed himself to take a closer look, and Timmy was actually a pretty attractive guy. Dark curly hair; deep green eyes; sharp jawline; slight build. To be brutally honest: just Armie’s type. But still… the kid was in _high school_.

“Haha, I knew it! What did you say his name was?”

“It’s Timmy. And you knew _what_? There is nothing to know. He is only 18, and I am not interested. He’s in fucking high school, Nick. He still lives with his mommy!”

Armie started looking through his phone to find Timmy’s name. “Here he is: Timmy Chalamet.””

Nick chewed thoughtfully on his pizza, as if he were puzzling something out.

“Chalamet… Chalamet. Why does that name sound familiar? Hold up...”

Nick began scrolling through his own phone, searching for what, Armie had no idea. Suddenly he stopped to read something on his screen.

“Arms, you said his name is Timmy Chalamet, right? Or possibly, Timothée Chalamet? I _knew_ that name was familiar- he played the lead in Prodigal Son last summer. Remember, that John Shanley play? You were supposed to go to see it with me but you got sick, so I took Grant instead. Look, is this him?”

Nick turned his phone to show Armie a still from the play, and sure enough… it was him. The kid. In the lead role in an award-winning off-Broadway play. Armie suddenly remembered all the rave reviews, and the buzz this kid had. He had been really looking forward to seeing it, and this amazing up-and-coming actor.

Timothée Chalamet.

And Armie had been a complete asshole to him.

_Fuck._


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet to rehearse their scene for class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I banged this out today and only looked it over once, so hopefully it isn't riddled with errors! I'm enjoying writing this fic and I was eager to get this out to start the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support and comments!
> 
> xoxoxo

Chapter Four

Friday night, Timmy’s nerves were so raw with the anticipation of seeing Armie again, he barely touched his dinner. His mom made note, remembering that he was meeting with a new scene partner after dinner, but kept quiet. She excused him after he’d barely eaten a bite, and Timmy left to go to his room to stare forlornly into his closet. He wanted to wear something that didn’t scream “high school student,” but that also didn’t appear desperate to impress. He settled on jeans and a dark blue polo shirt, forgoing his usual baseball cap and hoodie.

His sister Pauline was over for dinner, and she knocked on his bedroom door to check in on him. He turned to her as she walked in. “Be honest, Pauline, how old do I look in this?”

She looked him over with an appraising eye. “I’ll give you 17 in that.”

Timmy turned back to the mirror, attempting to arrange his short curls in some sort of style.

“I’ll take it, I guess,” he replied with resignation.

Pauline lay on Timmy’s bed, propping herself up on an elbow. “Why do you care? Aren’t you just meeting up with someone from your acting class to practice a scene?”

Timmy chewed on his lower lip, trying to decide how much to confess to his nosy older sister. “Well, Gretchen had me start with the advanced adult class yesterday, so I am paired up with someone older…”

Pauline’s eyebrows shot up. “Tell me more.”

Timmy sat on the end of the bed at Pauline’s feet. He decided to keep the details of yesterday’s class to himself. To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing, and all it would do would provide Pauline fuel for future teasing. “There is nothing to tell. I just don’t want to look any more like a kid than I already do.”

Pauline laughed as she pushed off the bed. “Well, good luck with _that_. I was being generous when I said 17, baby brother.”

_Great._

*****

A half hour later, Timmy was standing in front of Armie’s building, his heart beating out of his chest. He had a copy of their scene in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other. He had left his backpack at home, to go with his pathetic attempt at not looking like a high school freshman. He had been standing there for at least two minutes, unable to get up the nerve to buzz Armie’s apartment, when his phone vibrated with a message. He pulled it out of his back pocket, grateful for the distraction and saw that it was Armie.

_Armie Hammer: You lost?_

Timmy realized that he was almost ten minutes late, which was very unusual for him. He was typically a very prompt person.

_Great,_ he though. _What a way to start this night._

He texted back: _Just got here. Outside your building._

_Armie Hammer: Okay, I will buzz you up. Apartment 305._

The door vibrated and Timmy could hear it unlock.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought as he pulled open the door and mentally prepared himself to see Armie again.

*****

Armie had attempted to clean up his and Nick’s tiny apartment before Timmy’s arrival, but there really wasn’t much he could do about the surplus of shit that they tried to fit into the 700 square foot space. He had thrown an armload of books and shoes into his bedroom, and piled all the dirty dishes into the sink, cursing at himself for not washing them before work that morning. He had spent most of the day working on the scene for tonight, wanting to be prepared for their rehearsal. He felt irrationally nervous about seeing the kid… Timmy… again that night. He knew he owed him an apology, and he told himself that that was what was putting him a bit on edge.

After Armie had buzzed Timmy up, he grabbed a beer from his fridge and took a long swig. He really wasn’t sure what to expect from the night, and it was throwing him off balance.

A few light knocks echoed through their apartment, and Armie opened the door to find Timmy standing there. He immediately noticed that Timmy had apparently made an effort with his appearance, forgoing his baseball cap and backpack for a fitted polo shirt. His hair was neat and his face was flushed; the fact that he looked kind of adorable flashed through Armie’s brain before he was able to shake it off. He opened the door wide to let Timmy in.

Timmy was visibly flustered as he walked in the door. “Sorry I’m late. I uh, um… “

He seemed unsure how to finish the sentence.

“Don’t worry about it,” Armie saved him. “It gave me a few extra minutes to clean up. Not that it really helped much. Our place is a disaster. Sorry about that.”

Timmy managed a small smile and shrug. He stood awkwardly in the small living room, holding his papers like nervous school boy.

“Do you want to work at the table or in the living room?” Armie asked.

Timmy looked between both spaces, then back up at Armie. “I guess the couch?”

“Great. Can I get you something to drink, besides your water? We’ve got ginger ale or maybe a La Croix?”

The slightest ghost of a smile played on Timmy’s lips. “Can I have one of what you’re drinking?” he asked, with a nod at Armie’s beer.

Armie glanced down, as if he had forgotten what he had in his hand. “A beer?” He seemed to consider it for half a second, but then shook his head. “No. Uh-uh. You’re only 18. I’ll get you a soda.”

Timmy rolled his eyes. “I’ll be in college in like six months. I’ve had plenty of beers before, you know,” he retorted as Armie went to get his ginger ale.

Armie sat down next to him, handing him a glass with a patronizing smile. “Here’s your soda.”

Timmy took a sip then turned to Armie. The couch was small and Timmy felt awkward sitting so close to Armie, who looked somehow even better than he had the day before. Timmy concentrated on keeping his breathe steady: in…. out…. in…. out….

When he felt his heart rate slow, he spoke as casually as he could manage. “So, should we start? It’s a pretty intense scene. We might need a few extra run-throughs.”

The plan was to perform the scene from Of Mice and Men when Lennie and George are sitting around a campfire, discussing their lives as migrant ranch hands; Armie as the childlike gentle giant Lennie, and Timmy as the wily, pragmatic George. The characters were challenging, and Armie and Timmy were both interested to see how the other would do with his respective part. Armie held his notes, but Timmy set his down, already knowing his lines pat.

“Alright, from the top?” Armie asked. He took a deep breathe, then exhaled. “I'm ready when you are."

He took a few beats, readying himself, then turned to Timmy, his face eager and open. Timmy had grown still, he hunched over as if looking at a fire. He no longer fidgeted or shifted in his seat. He began the scene.

“ _Not tonight, Lennie.”_

“ _Aw, come on. Tell it like you did before, George. Please, please, please_?”

Timmy leaned in for his line, his face both amused and pensive. “ _You get a kick out of that, dontcha? Okay, I will_.” A pause. “ _Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world…._ ”

They ran through the entire scene in one shot, never needing to stop to re-do lines. When they were done, they just looked at each other, how well the scene had gone mirrored in each of their faces. They were evenly matched when it came to their talent. Armie was amazed at how Timmy--awkward, insecure 18-year old Timmy--was able to embody the spirit of a thorny middle-aged drifter. And Timmy was staring baldly at Armie, his mouth parted in what appeared to be slight shock.

Neither spoke for a moment, then Armie allowed himself the smallest smile. “That was pretty good, I would say. What did you think?”

Timmy just shook his head. “Wow, Armie. You were… you were fantastic. And that was with one day’s practice?”

Armie wasn’t sure how much he should say either, but he was blown-away by Timmy’s reading. The boy seemed to transform right in front of his eyes. He did the scene with a confidence that he never would have guessed the scrawny kid with the backpack from yesterday could possess. He now understood how Timmy was able to command an off-Broadway stage.

“You, too. You were pretty fucking brilliant.”

Timmy’s entire face lit up at Armie’s words. “Yeah? I was okay? Thanks.”

Armie shifted in his seat uncomfortably. There was something else he had to say, and he was not looking forward to it.

“Also, I should have said this as soon as you got here but… I’m sorry I was such a dick yesterday in class. I… I’m just an asshole sometimes. You didn’t deserve that.”

It almost felt more awkward to Timmy having Armie apologize than him insulting Timmy yesterday. The air between them suddenly seemed thicker; he felt too near to Armie.

He gave small shrug. “That’s alright. I’m sure it was an unpleasant surprise being paired with a kid like me.” He changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on what happened yesterday. “Should we do the scene again?”

*****

They boys ran through the scene four more times. With each run-through, their lines got tighter and they grew more comfortable with their interactions in the scene. Armie’s respect for Timmy continued to grow as he tried out different ways to read his lines and, incredibly, each attempt was better than the last. Armie was actually watching him closely, trying to learn from him.

By the last run-through, Armie felt like they were ready to perform in front of the class. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t for another four days.

“I think we’ve got it. I hate to admit it, but I think Gretchen was right,” Timmy said softly with a smile.

Armie looked up at him, confused. “What do you mean? What did she say?”

“She said that she thought that we would balance each other out.”

Their eyes met, and Armie felt a jolt in his stomach at the forest green in Timmy’s gaze. He stood up, needing to put some space between them.

“I’m going to get another beer. Do you… do you want one?”

Timmy’s eyebrow shot up in disbelief. “Hell yeah!”

He stood quickly and followed Armie into the kitchen, before Armie had a chance to change his mind. Armie pulled two beers out of his fridge, popped them both open, and handed one to Timmy.

“Don’t tell your mom.”

“Don’t be an asshole.”

“Touche. Cheers. To an excellent read-through.”

They clinked bottles and each took a sip, the air around them a little friendlier. Armie leaned against one side of the kitchen; Timmy leaned against the counter directly across from him. Armie realized that he was taller than he had originally thought, maybe 6 or 7 inches shorter than Armie, who was a Goliath.

“So, I was supposed to see you in Prodigal Son last summer, but I got sick. My roommate told me that you were amazing.”

Timmy’s face flushed. “Oh, so you heard that I was in that? Um, yeah. It was a really great experience.”

Timmy took several large gulps of his beer. He was always embarrassed to talk about his accomplishments, especially to someone like Armie, who was so gorgeous and talented. He didn’t want to come off as precocious or braggy.

“I wish I’d had a chance to go. Especially now that I’ve seen you in action a bit. I totally get why Gretchen brought you up to the advanced class.”

Armie was looking down at Timmy with something tender in his eyes; it made Timmy’s head spin and his stomach jump. He drank down the rest of his beer, set it behind him. He returned Armie's stare, trying to figure out what it was that he was seeing in Armie’s eyes.

Armie stood holding his beer, frozen in place by Timmy's gaze. He felt an unexpected pull towards Timmy, and those soft pink lips. He leaned in the slightest bit, and Timmy took a step towards him, as if he sensed the same pull, too.

The movement made Armie suddenly come his senses. Was… was he about to kiss Timmy? 18 year-old, high school senior Timmy?

_No, nope. That can. Not. Happen._

He abruptly pushed off from the kitchen counter, finished his beer, and walked out of the kitchen, saying in a too-loud voice, “So, let’s talk this weekend and make a plan for one last rehearsal. I gotta get to bed soon. Got an early morning tomorrow.”

Timmy blinked a few times, feeling the intense sting of the rebuff. He had misread Armie, obviously. His face reddened with the shame of rejection. He followed Armie out of the kitchen, quickly gathered up his things, mumbled something about talking to Armie soon, and scurried out the door as quickly as he could.

Fuck, how did things go so wrong so quickly?

_What a dumb-ass he was._


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys contemplate the end of their rehearsal, then see each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a slow burn. Thank you for your patience!
> 
> Happy Memorial Day!

Chapter Five

Armie watched the door close as Timmy left. For the briefest moment, he thought about going after him. He knew _exactly_ why Timmy had left so quickly. They had felt the same thing in the kitchen, and he was humiliated that Armie had walked away. Armie knew that, yet felt helpless to do anything about it.

Because if he goes after him, then what? Armie tells him that he had been thinking of kissing him, too? He gives him hope, leads him on? When he knows that it can go exactly nowhere? No, it would be better to let the boy go and pretend that nothing had happened. Let the entire thing just blow over.

That idea proved to be easier said than done. Armie was sitting on the couch, his eyes on his laptop but his brain on Timmy, when Nick came home.

“Hey, how’d your rehearsal with the kid go? Did you kiss and make up?” Nick asked as he threw himself down on the only other chair in the living room area.

Armie avoided his eyes, not looking up from his laptop screen. “Yeah, it was fine.”

“ _Fine_? What the hell does that mean?”

When Armie didn’t respond, Nick got up and plopped down next to him on the sofa. Sometimes Armie hated that Nick knew him so well. And was so relentless when he wanted an answer. “Dude. You never say something is fine unless it is totally not.”

Armie closed his laptop a little harder than he intended, his frustration seeping through. “I meant… it was _fine._ Now drop it. _Please._ I’m going to bed. I’ve got work early in the morning.”

Armie felt Nick’s glare at his back as he left for the bathroom. He knew that he’d hear about this tomorrow; Nick never let anything go, especially when he suspected that Armie had fucked up in some way, but he couldn’t deal with an interrogation at the moment.

That night, Armie tossed and turned for hours, unable to get the night’s events with Timmy out of his mind. He thought about the run-through of their scene, and how good it felt to act with Timmy. Like, he could throw anything at him during a reading and Timmy would respond perfectly. He seemed to have some sort of natural instinct, not just for acting, but for perceiving situations in real-life, as well. And the chemistry between them... well, Armie wasn't sure he had ever had it with another actor the way he felt it with Timmy.

That thought led him to remembering what happened in the kitchen. Timmy staring at him with those expressive eyes that Armie could read like a book. He had wanted to kiss Armie, and Armie had wanted… those lips. Those goddamn soft glistening lips.

Armie felt a jolt of blood rush between his legs. He pulled a pillow over his face. He _would not_ jerk off to thoughts of the kid. He would not, he could not…

After fifteen minutes of fervent denial, Armie’s erection could no longer be ignored. It ached between his legs, crying for attention, and Armie realized he would never get to sleep until he took care of it. He slipped his hand into his boxers, and wrapped his fist around his rock hard flesh. He quickly jerked off, absolutely _not_ thinking of Timmy’s plush mouth and darting tongue while he did so.

****

Timmy cursed himself the entire way home. What had made him think that some hot 22-year old would find him attractive? Timmy had really thought he had felt something between him and Armie, but it had obviously been wishful thinking. And now Armie was going to think that he was some pathetic, love-starved kid…. even more pathetic than he previously thought.

Whatever imaginary relationship points he had gotten from Armie realizing that he had been in an off-Broadway show had been obliterated in one miscalculated moment. For a few minutes, they had actual felt like equals. Timmy couldn’t even think of enough curse words to toss at himself for this critical error in judgement.

So, now what? Does he drop-out of the class and move to the Caribbean? That was a lovely thought, but no--he couldn’t run away from this. Feign illness for the next four days so he didn’t have to do the scene with Armie? Also tempting, but he wouldn’t do that to a scene partner. That would be both cowardly and unfair.

He was just going to have to suck it up and pretend that it had never happened. Pull on his actor’s mask and smile and act casual, and hope that the incident would never be mentioned again. Push past the extreme awkwardness, get the scene done, and then he would most likely never have to stare into that ridiculously handsome face ever again. There were plenty of other people in class he could work with if he had to. But god, the way Armie had been looking at him. As many times as Timmy had scolded himself that it had all been a figment of his overactive imagination, he could not get Armie’s tender expression out of his mind.

He looked up as he walked, realizing that he was at his building. He took out his key and let himself in as he remembered the blue of Armie’s eyes, the way his face had grown soft and fond as they talked in the kitchen.

_It had all been in your head, you idiot,_ Timmy chastised himself as he angrily pushed the call button for the elevator. _All in your delusional, over-sexed head._

_*****_

Armie and Timmy had made vague, indefinite plans to get-together for one last read-through that weekend, but hadn’t specified a day or place. Timmy was determined not to be one to reach out to Armie to firm up these plans after his humiliation Friday night, but the perfectionist in him began to get nervous when he still hadn’t heard from Armie by Sunday morning. Several times throughout the day, he picked up his phone, tapped on Armie’s contact information, stared at it, his finger hovering to type a quick, casual message. Each time, though, he found emotional fortitude that he hadn’t known that he had, and he put down the phone without texting Armie.

He was proud of himself to a degree, but his worries about the scene mounted. Would he have to do the dialogue with Armie on Tuesday afternoon after not seeing him for five days, with all the festering awkwardness still clinging to them? That was a miserable thought, as well. He was having increasingly panicked feeling about the situation he phone finally buzzed, late Sunday afternoon.

_Armie Hammer: I’m at work but I have a 30 minute dinner break at 7. Do you want to come by and run through our scene again?_ He attached the address of the coffee shop where he worked.

Timmy eyes swept over the text and he had an immediate rush of conflicting emotions. The first and most intense feeling: pure adrenaline at seeing a text from Armie. This was followed quickly and violently by anxiety at the prospect of seeing him again, and then finally a touch of annoyance that Armie thought that he could text at the last minute to get together and Timmy would be free.

Timmy sat on his bed, staring at the text. Of course he would go; there was never a question of that. He just had to wait for his _fucking heart_ to slow down enough to respond.

He tapped out a quick response:

_Sure see u then_

Then he threw his phone on the bed, turned his head so his face was muffled in his pillow, and screamed.

*****

Armie’s phone vibrated. Without even taking it out of his pocket, he knew it was Timmy. Would it be a text telling Armie to fuck off? That would be totally understandable, but Armie hoped that Timmy could put aside what had happened Friday night for the sake of their scene together. He took a deep breath and pulled out his phone.

_Timmy Chalamet: Sure see u then_

He let out the air he had been holding in a huge exhale. Ok, they were going to do this. He could do this. He glanced at the clock and saw that he had a little less than three hours until his break. He wanted time to both speed up and completely stop.

_But HOW was he going to do this_? He had no idea how to act with this kid anymore.

A rush of customers came in, and before Armie knew it, it was 6:50. He went to use the restroom, wash his hands, then popped a stick of gum in his mouth. He knocked on Gary’s office door to make sure it was still alright to use the break room to practice his scene. After Gary gave him a thumbs-up, he went to the back room to clear off the break table and make sure that the room was presentable. He didn’t actually care all that much that the room was neat but he needed to keep busy, otherwise his nerves would start to get to him.

He went back out to the front; it was 6:58. He wiped his suddenly-damp palms on a towel and scanned the shop to make sure Timmy hadn’t snuck in while he was in the back. It suddenly occurred to Armie how Timmy had been ten minutes late for their rehearsal on Friday. He was mentally preparing for Timmy to be late again when the front door swung open and there he was, slowly walking in, looking tentative and nervous as hell. Their eyes met immediately, and Armie’s stomach dropped as if he were on the sharp decline of a rollercoaster. He forced himself to smile and called out in what he hoped was a casual voice, “Hey Timmy. Perfect timing.”

Timmy’s lips turned up into what was most likely supposed to be a smile, but he looked too terrified for it to reach his eyes. _I did that,_ Armie thought with rush of intense anger at himself. _I did that and now I have to make it right._

Armie put aside all of his own feelings—the warmth that had enveloped his body the moment Timmy entered the coffee shop; his anxiety at having to be in the same small space as Timmy; any nerves he felt about this performance—to focus on what was immediately more important: for once not being a complete asshole and making sure Timmy felt comfortable. 

He waved over the boy with the biggest smile he could muster. He could see Timmy’s nerves begin to dissolve as he realized that Armie was just going to be friendly and normal. It made him wonder what other terrible possible scenarios Timmy had had in his head. Did he think that Armie was going to be standoffish? Sarcastic? Downright mean? All totally reasonable expectations, given the way Armie had treated Timmy on both Thursday and Friday.

_God he sucked._

“What can I get you? Anything you want, on the house.”

Timmy licked his lips as he looked over the menu. “Thanks, man. Just a vanilla latte, please.” 

“You got it.”

Armie made the drink quickly and then led the way to the back room. He glanced back once as they walked, just to check in on Timmy, and was rewarded with a small but genuine smile. He grinned back and suddenly felt lighter. Maybe they were going to be okay.

“Thanks for coming so last minute. I should have texted you yesterday.” He said as Timmy settled into a chair at the break table, taking a small sip of his latte, then speaking into this cup.

“It’s alright. I know you’re busy with your job.”

He set the cup down, then pulled off his baseball cap and tucked a stray hair behind his ear. It was too short to stay put, and immediately sprang out again. Armie’s heart tugged at the gesture and he felt a sudden impulse to reach over and smooth Timmy’s hair down. He cleared his throat, distracting himself from this desire.

“So, did you get a chance to practice anymore?”

Timmy gave a small shrug then glanced up at Armie through his eyelashes. “No. I decided to wait until I was with you again.”

_until I was with you again_

The one-two punch of those words coupled with Timmy’s magnetic gaze hit Armie so expectantly hard, he had to put both hands on the table to steady himself.

He swallowed the lump in his throat then settled in next to Timmy at the table. “Well, we’re together now. Let’s get started. I only have 20 more minutes left in my break,” he said with a soft smile

They had time to run through the scene twice, giving each other a few notes after each attempt. It was even smoother than it had Friday night; Armie felt as if he had been acting with Timmy for years. They had an effortless way of playing off of each other that felt really natural to Armie.

“I think we’re ready,” he said after the last read-through.

Timmy nodded, trying to hide the wide grin that was blooming on his face. “I think so. That was really good, Armie. I mean, YOU were so good.”

They were sitting close enough together that Armie was able to gently knock his shoulder into Timmy’s. “We work well together.” Timmy ducked his head, but Armie could see he was pleased.

_We’re a good team,_ he thought. And suddenly, he was excited at the prospect at working with Timmy again, possibly on another scene. He knew that he had to get back to work soon, but he really didn’t want this moment to end. He wanted to keep Timmy here, talk to him some more.

“So, have you been acting for a long time? You are such a pro…”

Timmy ran his finger over the rim of his coffee cup, unable to meet Armie’s eyes. “Well, I come from an acting family. My grandmother, my mom and my uncle, my sister. “ Armie nodded, encouraging him to continue. “I’ve been doing commercials and stage work since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started taking it seriously. Seeing it as more than just a lark to pass the time.”

He glanced up at Armie, his face excited as he talked about what was his passion. “But now, acting is like a refuge for me. It’s like a safe haven where I can put aside whatever shit is going on in real life and just focus on that.”

Armie nodded vigorously; he completely understood what Timmy was saying. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I mean, I left a comfortable life in Los Angeles to live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with Nick to do this. But it’s worth it. I mean, at least I hope it will be.” He laughed with touch of self-deprecation. “If I ever actually get hired as an actor here.”

Timmy reached over and lightly touched his arm. “You will. You are a really talented, Armie.”

They shared a smile, the balance between them restored. Armie opened his mouth to reply when Gary knocked on the door. “Hammer, breaks over. We’re getting busy out there.”

Timmy stood up. “Thanks for the coffee. I’ll let you get back to work.”

“See you Tuesday, Timmy.”

Timmy gave a parting smile and Armie watched him as walked out of the break room. One thought kept him from calling out to Timmy one last time, to make him to turn around and grace Armie with a final gaze:

_I get to see him again in two days_.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie and Timmy perform together in class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, some of you had requested a longer chapter, so here is a meaty 3500 word chapter. Hope it suffices for the moment! Also, I know that Armie came off as a bit of a jerk in the first few chapters. Hopefully he is redeemed in this chapter!
> 
> Sending love and appreciation to all of my readers. I wouldn't be here without you. And don't forget that authors thrive on comments!!! xoxox

Chapter Six

Armie finished his shift at the coffee shop in a positive mood. His run-through with Timmy had gone well, and he felt that whatever weirdness had lingered between them was gone. He was eager for class on Tuesday, to actually perform the scene with Timmy in front of the other actors. He had a feeling that Timmy was the type of artist that blossomed in front of an audience, and he couldn’t wait to see.

Armie never could have imagined that one day he would look up to someone so much younger than himself as an actor and performer, but he admitted that that was the case with Timmy. Timmy had such ready access to all of his emotions, and he could call on them and switch between them quickly, making his acting appear effortless. But Armie knew better—he understood the hard work and single-minded focus behind this seemingly natural talent. Although with Timmy, perhaps those things were one and the same.

Armie was in awe because he fought so hard for the delivery of every line he had… digging deep into his memories and experiences to find just the right inflection or facial expression for a moment in a scene. It was exhausting, but gratifying when he got it right. He worked his ass off, and he took it very seriously. He could tell that Timmy did, as well, which made him respect the boy as an actor even more than his inherent talent. What other 18 year-old would give up his Sunday night for one last read-through of a scene for a class? Not too many, Armie guessed.

His musings on Timmy kept his mind occupied as he finished his shift, and the next thing he knew it was 10pm and time to close up. He helped Gary clean and stock, and his good mood followed him out to the street for the twenty-minute walk back to his apartment. It was then that Armie remembered that it was Sunday night—time for his weekly call to his mother in California. He groaned to himself, wondering if he could text her with an excuse and skip it. But that would just make the phone call even more miserable when he finally made it, with Dru grilling him as to why he hadn’t called her at their usual time. No, better to just get it over with.

Nick was on the couch watching _Ozark_ when Armie got home. Armie popped open a beer and sat at the small dining table, not yet ready to make the dreaded phone call. He knew better than to interrupt Nick when he was watching his favorite show, but Nick paused the television and looked up to chat.

“Hey, how was your shift?” Armie appreciated that his best friend kept track of his life, but sometimes it was a bit much that Nick seemed to have a need to know everything about Armie. He sometimes wondered what it would be like to room with a stranger who didn’t give a fuck about him.

Armie gave a small shrug. “It was pretty good. The kid--I mean Timmy--came in during my break and we rehearsed our scene one last time.”

“Yeah? Oh, good.”

Armie had not shared with Nick the awkward way their first run-through had ended. He had told Nick that he had apologized, and that the read-throughs had gone well. He decided that that was all Nick needed to know.

“So, he’s growing on you?” Nick asked with a grin.

Armie rolled his eyes and stood up to leave. He really couldn’t bear to talk about Timmy right now. His own feelings were too confused to give more than a minimal answer.

“He’s a talented kid. And yeah, he is nice enough. I think the scene will go well on Tuesday.”

Nick thankfully lifted the remote to turn back on his show. “Cool. Now go call Dru. Otherwise you’ll never hear the end of it.”

Nick knew everything.

Armie took his beer and phone to the room he shared with Nick and sat on his bed to mentally prepare himself. This was his least-favorite moment of the week. He called his father, who also lived in California with his new wife, maybe once a month. But his father was happy with a superficial five-minute chat, always as eager to get off the phone as Armie. But not his mother; no, she liked to question and drill and judge and comment. And she had a _lot_ to say about Armie’s recent life choices.

Armie sighed and scrolled to her contact information on his phone. He settled back on his pillow and hit her name— _Dru/Mom_ —to call.

She picked up after one ring. “I was starting to think that you weren’t going to call.”

“Mom, I _just_ got home from work.”

“Well, I have no idea. It’s starting to get late here. I was thinking of going to bed soon.”

“ _Mom_ , it’s 8 o’clock there!” Armie could feel himself already starting to get aggravated. He took a deep breath and asked calmly, “So, how did your fundraiser go? That was last night, right?”

“It went well. We had an excellent turn-out. Are you going to make a donation?”

Armie rolled his eyes, happy his mother couldn’t see. “No, mom. I’m not going to donate to a pro-life Orange County politician who was caught on a live microphone spewing homophobic garbage. But I am happy your party went well.”

“Yes, well… and how are things there? Have you booked a job yet? Or are you still just working at that _diner_?” She said the word diner as if Armie worked at a pool hall or unsavory dive bar.

Armie glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Could this call just be over already?

“It’s a coffee shop, mom. And no, I haven’t booked a job. I’m hoping to have an audition next week, though.”

“An audition? Oh, well, that’s nice. I suppose.” She heaved a huge sigh that seemed emanate from deep within her bowels. “Although… I don’t know _how_ you are ever going to find a wife and settle down when you don’t even have a real job.”

Armie gripped his phone tighter in his hand; his fingers began to hurt from the pressure. “Mom, I am 22. I don’t need to settle down. And when I do, it won’t be with a _wife_.”

There was a beat of silence on the other end. Armie’s sexuality was the biggest issue between him and Dru, but she usually chose to ignore it, pretending that Armie was something that he was not, or was perhaps going through an unpleasant _phase._ When she spoke again, her voice had lost all pretense of false cheerfulness, and was terse and scolding.

“Whatever the case, I hope that you come to your senses and come home soon. It’s obvious that an acting career isn’t for you, Armie. Your father has a job waiting for you. One that you are much better suited for than gallivanting around on a stage. It is so… _unbecoming_.”

Armie gritted his teeth. “Ok, mom. Good talk. I gotta go now. I will call you next Sunday.”

As he was hanging up, he heard his mother tell him that she loved him, but he pressed the end button, pretending not to have heard. _How can she say she loves me, when she doesn’t even try to understand or accept me?_ He thought this exact thing every time they spoke. He was thankful for the 3000 miles between them, but even with the distance, he always hung up feeling raw and less-than.

*****

Timmy also left the coffee shop is a positive mood, relieved that things had smoothed over between him and Armie. He felt good about their scene, confident that he was keeping up his end of the dialogue adequately. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint Armie on Tuesday.

His crush on the ridiculously sexy older man had only intensified with their latest interaction, but Timmy was used to living with unrequited crushes. And he knew this one was hopeless—Armie was older, gorgeous, and seemingly very straight. Timmy was honestly just happy to be on good terms with him now. He would do this scene with him, then get out of his hair. It would be easier to endure his crush when Armie was just another actor across the room, not his scene partner sitting a few feet away.

The next two days at school crawled by. Will repeatedly asked Timmy about Armie, wanting to know every detail of their two rehearsals. Even though he normally told Will everything, Timmy was too embarrassed to share his humiliating “lean-in-for-a-kiss,” followed by Armie’s panicked exit from the kitchen. He glossed over most of the details from both days, simply saying that the rehearsals went well.

“So, are you still sure that he is straight?” Will asked Tuesday at lunch. He was relentless.

“Yes. Very sure. And even if he wasn’t, he is way out of my league. I would never have a chance with him.” He paused for a beat. “Although…”

Timmy stopped and bit his tongue, preventing himself from voicing the one tiny bit of optimism he felt.

“Although WHAT? Spill it, Timo!”

Timmy cursed at himself for opening his mouth. Why couldn’t he ever keep a single thought to himself?

“Ok, I am sure this means nothing. _Nothing_ , Will! But, after we do a scene together, he sometime looks at me….”

Will waited with his mouth hanging open for Timmy to finish. When he didn’t continue, Will jabbed him hard on his arm. “Looks at you _how_? What do you mean, Tim?”

“Just like…. I don’t know how to describe it. Like he _LIKES_ me? Or something? I’m reading too much into it. It probably just means that he was happy with how the scene went. I mean, we do have really great chemistry together.”

Will sat up straight at this pronouncement. “ _You have great chemistry together_ , Tim? I feel like there is more going on between you two that you aren’t telling me.”

Timmy shook his head quickly, taking a bite of his sandwich. “There’s not. I’m an idiot.”

Will snorted. “Yeah, well, _that’s_ true. Hey, there’s Guilian. Let’s grab him and go smoke some weed before English.”

And just like that, the conversation was over. Timmy still wasn’t sure which thing was the truth: did he see something in Armie’s eyes when they were together? Or was it all in his head? He decided that it didn’t matter because he was never going to do anything about it. There was no way he was going to take the chance of making a fool of himself with Armie again.

*****

Timmy rushed out of his school for acting class that afternoon, still a little stoned from smoking with Will and Guilian. He was in the perfect mindset for class: in his head enough to have easy access to his emotions, but out of his head enough to not feel self-conscious. This second part was especially important today, knowing that he was going to see Armie again to do their scene. That part he wasn’t worried about at all—he knew his lines, he was confident that it was going to go well. But the “seeing Armie again” part of the afternoon--his first time seeing him in class since that disastrous first time—that was fucking nerve-wracking. The weed was doing its job to take the edge off.

Timmy got to the room early, as usual. Gretchen was deep in conversation with another student near the piano, but she looked up when Timmy came in and gave him a quick wave. Timmy grinned and lifted a hand to return the greeting. He grabbed a folding chair for himself then, after a moment of thought, grabbed one for Armie. They were scene partners, it was totally normal and expected for them to sit together. He was being considerate. Not weird at all.

Unless, of course, Armie thought it was weird and presumptuous.

No, that was a stoned, paranoid thought. Timmy physically shook his head to rid his brain of the negative thoughts as he unfolded the chairs and fell into one.

“Is this chair for me?”

Armie’s deep honeyed voice came out of seemingly nowhere, and startled Timmy so badly that he jumped several inches out of his chair. Armie chuckled, laying a hand on Timmy’s arm. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Timmy felt his face flush, settling back into his seat. What a fucking way to start this class. “No, I’m fine. I was just deep in thought.”

Armie sat down on the chair next to Timmy. “Oh really? So… what were you thinking about?’

Timmy’s face flushed even deeper. He found it so hard to hide his thoughts when he was stoned. He began to curse his decision to smoke out earlier that day.

“Nothing. Just, I don’t know, our scene mostly.”

Armie gave him a surprisingly kind smile. He was wearing a blue tee-shirt hat set off his eyes. Timmy had to glance away, feeling vulnerable and transparent when Armie looked at him. 

“Are you nervous, Timmy?”

A shiver went down Timmy’s spine when Armie said his name. He wondered if he had ever said it before. It was maybe the best thing he had ever heard, his own name coming out of Armie’s mouth, in Armie’s smooth baritone.

“No, not really. I’m ready. Are you ready?” Was he babbling? He felt like he was babbling.

Armie nodded with his usual easy confidence. “I _am_ ready. I say we volunteer to go first, if Gretchen asks.”

Timmy actually liked the idea of getting their scene over with. The wait to perform was often the hardest part of class. He nodded his head in agreement, then sunk low in his chair as Armie turned away from him to chat with some of the other actors. Timmy still knew no one else aside from Armie, who seemed to be friends with everyone. A few minutes later, Gretchen clapped her hands to get started.

Typically the class began with a lengthy warm-up exercise; that day, however, the group had ten dyadic scenes to get through in an hour. So Gretchen dispensed with the warm-up activities and instead had the actors do some yoga breathing and stretching followed by a few announcements for upcoming auditions and performances. Everyone then moved their chairs into a semi-circle to give room for the performances, and Gretchen asked if anyone would like to go first.

Several hands went up, but Armie had the advantage of long arms and a face that generally got attention. Gretchen seemed delighted to have him and Timmy go first.

“Oh great, Armie and our newest actor, Timmy Chalamet, who just joined us on Thursday. What scene will you be performing?”

Timmy looked at Armie to answer, but Armie nodded to Timmy to speak. He cleared his throat, stood a little straighter, smiled at the class, and answered, “We’ll be doing the camp fire scene from _Of Mice and Men._ ” His clear voice echoed easily through the large room.

Gretchen’s smile widened. “Oh, that sounds wonderful. Please start when you are ready.”

The boys brought their chairs to the front for the scene and settled in the way they had practiced. Timmy’s head was buzzing the way it always did before he performed. He glanced at Armie whose face had already morphed into the childlike eagerness of Lennie. He gave Timmy the slightest nod to begin.

“ _Not tonight, Lennie.”_

“ _Aw, come on. Tell it like you did before, George. Please, please, please_?”

It was their strongest take on the scene yet. When they were done, Armie caught Timmy’s eye and gave him a wink and a grin. Timmy smiled back then glanced around at the other actors, who were clapping enthusiastically. Timmy felt good, like he had crossed a barrier in this class. Not that he ever lacked for accolades for his acting, but he constantly felt that he had to prove himself in every new situation, and he knew that he had. He was relieved that it had gone well for that reason, and also he felt that he could get out of Armie’s hair now. Relieve him of the burden of partnering with Timmy.

The rest of the class flew by as the other students got up to perform. The actors in the class were overall quite talented and after seeing how well everyone else did, Timmy was even happier that he and Armie had gone first.

Armie leaned down several times to make a comment about an actor when they got up for their scene: a play they had been in, where they were from, or some other tidbit of information. Each time he did, Timmy felt his warm breath in his ear, and it would send shivers down his entire body. He wanted to keep Armie close, to whisper back, or lean even closer. But instead, he would merely nod or smile and Armie would eventually lean back and straighten up in his chair. Timmy felt his close proximity in every cell of his body for the entire class. It was both exhilarating and agonizing.

At the end of class, Gretchen announced that they would do another two-person scene on Thursday, but this time she would be assigning scenes and parts to be performed the following Tuesday. The actors could stay with their current partner, or switch it up if they’d prefer.

Timmy knew immediately that he wouldn’t expect Armie to stay with him a second time; he just hoped that he would be able to easily find someone else to work with. When Gretchen released them to partner up, he didn’t even look at Armie, not wanting the older man to think for even a second that Timmy had that expectation of him. Thankfully, Timmy was immediately approached by a young blond girl who introduced herself as Lauren to do the scene together. They exchanged numbers and she asked if she could walk out with Timmy.

Timmy turned to say goodbye to Armie, to thank him for working together one last time. Armie was talking to another actor just a few feet away, but glanced up as soon as he felt Timmy’s eyes on him. But instead of returning the smile, Armie’s face was drawn; he looked troubled. Timmy’s heart clenched with concern, but he reminded himself that Armie was no longer his business.

Instead, he gave Armie a quick wave. “See you Thursday, Armie. Great job today.”

Armie smiled, but it looked forced, almost pained. “You too, Timmy. See you Thursday.”

Timmy walked out with Lauren, but his mind was still on Armie. What could he be so upset about? He tried to shake off the feeling, and turned to Lauren.

“I wonder what scene we’ll get assigned?”

*****

Armie was incredibly pleased with the way the scene had gone; he had actually been so happy with the way the entire class had gone. He had spent the afternoon looking forward to this part of his day, to the class and doing the scene. Actually, to seeing Timmy again, but he told himself that it was just that he excited to perform with the someone that he really felt a natural professional affinity with.

Timmy had seemed nervous at the start of class; not surprising considering that it was his first time performing with this new group of actors. But the boys had gone first, and the scene had gone phenomenally well, and had been met with enthusiastic approval by their fellow actors. Timmy seemed to relax after that, and Armie had felt so comfortable sitting next to Timmy, whispering little comments to him, watching the way what he said would make Timmy smirk or his eyebrows raise. He loved to see what type of reactions he could get from Timmy; his face was so fucking expressive. At times, it was difficult for Armie to pull his eyes away from Timmy to watch the actors performing at the front of the class.

So, to be honest, Armie had just assumed when Gretchen announced that they would be working in groups of two, that he and Timmy would pair up again. He was looking forward to it, if he were being honest with himself. Maybe a lot. When she released the actors from class to find their scene partners, he immediately turned to Timmy. But Timmy had his back to Armie, responding as a girl named Lauren called out to him. Armie considered putting his hand on Timmy’s arm, to stop him from replying to Lauren, telling him no, don’t go with her, that _he_ wanted to work with Timmy again.

But Timmy was already out of his seat walking towards Lauren, and all Armie could do was watch. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he had been sucker punched. The disappointment was palpable, a sour taste in his mouth.

Another actor from the class, Ben, asked Armie to work with him, and Armie pulled his eyes reluctantly off of Timmy for a moment to respond with a lackluster, “Sure.” He glanced back up at Timmy one last time to watch him leave with Lauren. Timmy was looking at him then, and Armie forced a smile. He didn’t need Timmy to know what he what he was feeling.

Because... _he_ wasn’t even sure what he was feeling. But watching Timmy leave with Lauren? It didn’t feel good.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie and Timmy deal with the aftermath of their last class together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am enjoying writing this fic so much, and a big part of it is knowing that you all are enjoying it! Thank you all for reading, and for the warm reception it has received! And remember (not just for me, but for all writers)-comments inspire writers to write more!
> 
> xoxox

Chapter Seven

Armie got back to his apartment and spent the rest of the night unreasonably agitated. Everything he did, he did with half his brain on Timmy. He dragged three loads of laundry to the basement thinking about Timmy. He threw together some chili for dinner thinking about Timmy. He settled in on the couch next to Nick who half-asleep watching 90-Day Fiancé thinking about Timmy.

He gruffly pushed Nick’s feet out of the way, trying to make room for himself on their beat-up sofa. “You don’t get to take up the whole fucking couch,” he said irritably.

“Dude, what’s your problem? Go sit in the chair.”

Armie knew he was being childish, but he was in a terrible mood and didn’t care. “I don’t want to sit on the chair. It’s lumpy.”

Nick stretched and sat up to glare at Armie. He had known Armie for most of his life; he could tell when something was up with him. A lightbulb seemed to go off in his head.

“Oh, hey, your scene with Timmy was today, right? How’d that go?” When Armie didn’t respond right away, Nick prodded, poking Armie with a toe. “Did something go wrong, is that why you’re pissy? Did he fuck up? Did _you_ fuck up?”

Armie pushed himself up off the couch. Nick was exhausting sometimes. He went into their small kitchen to pour himself a small glass of scotch.

“No, it went well, actually. Really well.” He leaned against the kitchen counter and downed the glass in one big swallow. The burn immediately went to his belly; it was just what he needed. He poured himself another.

“So what are you upset about? And don’t lie to me and tell me that you’re not. I know your moods better than my own, Hammer.”

Armie sighed, looking up at the ceiling. So many cobwebs. Wow, they really needed to do some cleaning. He walked out of the kitchen with his glass and leaned against the doorjam. He couldn’t tell Nick. What would he even say? He shook his head. “Just work stuff. Mom stuff. You know, the usual.”

He faked a yawn; it was only 10:30, earlier than when he usually turned in, but he wanted to be alone. To not be under the intense scrutiny of Nick Delli Santi.

“I’m exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning.” He downed what was in his glass, poured himself a nightcap then went to stare at his phone in the bedroom.

After three fingers of scotch, Armie’s mind felt loose, and thoughts of Timmy were coming fast and furious.

_I should text him. Just to tell him again what a good job he did today. That’s it--just some encouragement._

Armie went to Timmy’s contact and opened a new message. He typed out several texts then deleted them in quick succession, unable to think of the right tone to take.

_~~You did so well today.~~ _

_~~Hey there, good job today.~~ _

_~~Didn’t get a chance to say goodbye today, but I wanted to say again~~ _

_~~Good luck with Lauren.~~ _

One last try-

_Timmy, today felt really great, us working together. I have actually learned so much from you and I was hoping that we would be able to do another scene together. But Lauren is really talented, and I’m sure the two of you will be amazing. See you Thursday._

Armie read it over quickly-- _Ugh, way too much—_ and deleted it. He downed the last of his scotch, then impulsively typed one last thing, a text teeming with his true, raw feelings, with every intention to delete.

_fuck Timmy why didnt you pick me_

He immediately went to erase the message, but his fingers felt fat and clumsy after his three drinks. Suddenly the text turned blue and the word “Delivered” appeared on his screen.

**_FUCK_ **

**_NO NO NO NO_ **

He stared at his phone, willing the text to disappear. When that didn’t happened, he sat frozen, waiting for a return text from Timmy. After ten then fifteen minutes, with Armie unable to move from his bed or take his eyes off his phone, it was apparent that Timmy wasn’t going to respond that night. Armie turned off his phone, brushed his teeth, and prepared himself for a long, restless night of sleeplessness.

*****

Timmy returned home that afternoon feeling pretty fucking good about himself. His mom immediately asked about his scene. She knew that he had been nervous about it, and suspected from the way Timmy talked about Armie that perhaps a crush was involved. He couldn’t hide his grin as he told her how well it went.

“So, will you be working with Armie again, do you think?”

Timmy chewed his bottom lip, thinking about how badly he wanted that. He shook his head. “No, I doubt it. Everyone wants to work with Armie. I don’t want to monopolize him. I’m working with a girl named Lauren on a scene on Thursday. She seems cool.”

Timmy left to go do homework. His mom brought him dinner in his room--between auditions, acting class, and senior class projects, Timmy was swamped with work. He finally finished around 10, and settled in for some hard-earned Call of Duty time.

His mom knocked on his door at midnight, reminding him that he had school in the morning. He rolled his eyes when she told him that he needed to go to sleep soon, but he knew she was right. He plugged in his phone to charge, and a new text message that he had missed while he was gaming popped up.

_Armie Hammer: fuck Timmy why didnt you pick me_

Timmy’s heart stopped beating. Armie had texted him over an hour ago. But… what did this mean?? The message said “Timmy,” so it was definitely meant for him. But why did he send this?

He glanced at the clock—12:10am. It was too late to text back. And anyway, what the hell would he say?

Timmy needed desperately to talk to Will, but it was too late to call. His mind was racing as he struggled to figure out why Armie texted it. It sounded distressed. Had Armie felt bad that Timmy was working with Lauren? That was incomprehensible, almost impossible. Yet… that is what it seemed like.

Timmy fell into a ragged sleep hours later, his mind spinning with thoughts of Armie. He woke early the next morning, and couldn’t get back to sleep. At 6:15, he texted Will.

_Hey, can you meet me before school? I need to show you something. 8am at the back gate?_

A thumbs-up emoji from Will flashed on his phone immediately.

Timmy spent a large portion of his morning staring at the message from Armie. He was very tempted to text back a simple _I’m so sorry, I didn’t know_ or something similar. But he didn’t trust his own judgement to compose even a basic message like that. He needed an outside opinion about what it could mean and what he should say before he did _anything_.

Will was already at the gate leaning against the fence when Timmy walked up, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with nerves. Will stood up straight when he saw Timmy approach.

“What’s going on? Everything okay?” He looked concerned, giving Timmy a flash of guilt for dragging him into his stupid drama.

“Yeah, no, everything is fine. I just need your opinion about something. Can you skip first period?”

Will grinned conspiratorially. “Of course I can. Let’s go to Mud.”

After they had settled in with their coffees, Timmy finally filled Will in on the details that he had skimmed over when he first told him about Armie. He told him about what happened in the kitchen, how Timmy had felt something between them, and thought that Armie was leaning in for a kiss. And how, when Timmy had stepped forward to erase the space between them, Armie had run out of the kitchen like a startled deer.

And then he told him how well the class had gone yesterday. How that chemistry that existed between them when they did a scene together seemed to have only gotten stronger. And the way Armie leaned down to whisper in Timmy’s ear, again and again, all through class. But Timmy had dismissed all of it. And finally, how at the end of the class, Timmy had paired up with Lauren, rather than Armie, and how Armie had looked troubled when Timmy said goodbye. Timmy hadn’t given any of it a second thought, because he _knew_ there was no way it could mean anything.

“But then last night, I got this text.” He handed his phone to Will. “It’s from Armie. It came in while I was playing Call of Duty so I didn’t see it right away.”

Will glanced at the text, then his eyes returned to Timmy, round with astonishment. “And you haven’t responded.” He could see that fact on Timmy’s phone. “What are you going to do?”

Timmy snorted. “That’s why you’re here. Because I have no fucking idea what to say back.”

Will looked back down at the text. “You know, it reads drunk to me,” he observed, tapping on the screen.

Timmy nodded his head furiously. “Yes! To me, too. Which makes it even more complicated. Like, did he even mean to send it? I mean, he obviously was thinking it. But why? And why didn’t he say anything in class yesterday? Ugh!” Timmy put his head down on the table in frustration. “I don’t understand any of it,” he muttered into the table.

“Well, you probably won’t listen to my advice, since you rarely do. But… I don’t think you should text back.”

Timmy lifted his head from the table, his face confused. “You don’t? What should I do? Just ignore it? I don’t want to do that.”

Will shook his head quickly. “No, no. I think you need to talk to him in person. You two need to actually fucking TALK. You have all these feelings and you say he doesn’t. But Timmy, from what you’ve told me, and from this text, I think he might.”

“But he is straight!”

Will laughed. “You say, based on absolutely nothing. Is he working today?”

Timmy nodded, looking not a little bit terrified at what Will might be about to propose. “He is, until 3, I think.”

Will’s face broke out into a huge grin. “Perfect. We’ll go right after school and get there just as his shift is ending.”

Timmy started to protest, wanting to sweep the entire thing under the rug. But he would see Armie tomorrow in class, and the thought of how incredibly awkward it would be if he never responded to his text was just unfathomable. After a few seconds of hesitation, he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

*****

Armie woke early the next morning from work after an abysmal night’s sleep. He glanced over at Nick, who was thankfully still snoring soundly. He reached his long arm over and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, terrified to turn it on and find a response to his accidental text from Timmy. He took a deep breath, imagining both worst and best case scenarios. He decided the worst case would actually be no response at all. The ambiguity of that would literally kill him, he thought.

He pushed the on button and waited. His phone came to life and a text from his brother appeared and some Twitter notifications popped up and… nothing from Timmy.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself, falling back onto his pillow. He considered sending a follow-up text, apologizing or explaining the first. But he quickly rejected that thought; that would be way too awkward. Finally, Armie decided to just shake it off and get on with his life. Now that he was sober, he was able to tell himself that he really didn’t care what young Timmy Chalamet thought of him. It really wasn’t a big deal, and Armie sending him that text last night meant nothing.

It was so much easier for Armie to lie to himself when he was sober.

Armie got ready for work and had a totally boring, normal day at the coffee shop. When he still hadn’t heard back from Timmy by lunch, he was able to convince himself that perhaps he didn’t even receive the text. Maybe it had gotten lost in the network somehow. Or perhaps Timmy got so many texts every day that he somehow had missed the one from Armie.

Sure, that made sense.

Armie had finally been somewhat successful at pushing Timmy out of his mind for a bit, and was just starting to clean up for the end of his shift when the front door swung open, and a familiar head of chocolate brown curls walked in. Timmy, followed by an unfamiliar blond boy.

_Fuck. Here we go._

Armie’s stomach flipped powerfully in the way that he now realized it always did when he saw Timmy. He held up a hand in greeting, trying for nonchalance as Timmy approached the counter, smiling shyly, looking very nervous himself. The coffee shop was empty, so Armie was able to give Timmy his full attention.

“Hey, Timmy. What can I get you?” He decided to play it off that Timmy was just here for a latte. _Obviously._

“Armie, this is my friend, Will. Um… I don’t actually want anything. I… I wanted to see if we could talk. Are you off soon?”

It dawned on Armie that Timmy knew his schedule. _This kid doesn’t miss a thing,_ he thought. His face pulled into a small grin at the realization.

“I am. Now, actually.” He swallowed his nerves down. He could do this. “Do you want to go talk in the back?”

Timmy nodded quickly, then turned to his friend. “I’ll call you later?”

His friend gave a knowing grin, which made Armie’s heart skip a beat. What had Timmy told him?

“You better,” he called as he walked out of the shop.

Timmy turned back to Armie with a small apologetic smile. Armie had to look away, not ready to face those green eyes. He busied himself at the sink, washing his hands, then taking off his apron.

“I’ll be in the back if you need me,” he said to Gary who was taking advantage of the lull in customers by reading the newspaper at a table.

Gary gave a nod, not even looking up, and Armie finally glanced at Timmy. “Ready?” he asked, already walking towards the break room. He heard Timmy’s steps behind him and he tried desperately to gather his thoughts. What was he going to say? He still had no idea. _Guess I’ll be winging it._

Timmy followed him into the break room and took a seat in the same chair where he had sat three days earlier. His eyes followed Armie as he sat down beside him, scooting the chair out then turning it a bit so he was facing Timmy. Timmy waited for Armie to speak, expectation painted plainly on his face.

“So, Timmy, about that text… I’d had a bit too much to drink and I…” Armie’s eyes pulled away from Timmy and found the ceiling. This was even harder than he thought it would be.

“But Armie,” Timmy interrupted, “… what did it _mean_? That you wanted to do another scene with me? You were upset that we weren’t?”

Timmy leaned in closer to Armie, not wanting Armie to worm his way out of an answer. Timmy _had_ to know what he was thinking.

Armie glanced down at Timmy, who was suddenly in his space. The air between them fizzled and Armie had the urge to run his hands through Timmy’s hair, to pull him on to his lap, to…. he forced himself to focus.

“Well, yeah. I… we worked really well together, and I actually thought that….”

Suddenly Timmy lunged forward, capturing Armie’s lips in his own. Armie’s heart beat out of his chest, and his first thought was _God, he is so brave._ Followed immediately by _Fuck his lips are as soft as they look._

Armie let the kiss overtake him, sliding a hand around Timmy’s neck and pulling him in closer. His brain had shut down and he allowed himself to just FEEL. To feel Timmy’s hot mouth pressed hard against him; to feel Timmy’s silky hair slip through his fingers; to feel Timmy’s hand gripping Armie’s bicep tight, not giving him even a chance to escape.

Armie’s entire body felt on fire, and when his brain finally came back on-line, it took every ounce of strength in him to finally pull back. He immediately mourned the loss as his lips deserted Timmy’s, leaving them both stranded. Timmy’s eyes fell open, colored with confusion.

“Timmy, we have to stop. I can’t… I can’t do this.”

“What? Why?” Timmy’s lips were shiny with spit--his own or Armie’s, it was impossible to tell. Armie’s heart clenched at the sight of Timmy’s cheeks flushed pink from the excitement of the moment.

Armie made his voice gentle. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt this kid who had somehow become special to him in the week that he had known him.

“That was an amazing kiss, Timmy. Don’t get me wrong. But you’re in high school, and I’m almost 23. I’m just… I’m too old for you.”

Timmy pushed away from Armie at that, irate. “Says who? _YOU_? Well I disagree, Armie. We both know that I’m not a typical 18-year old. You would never have kissed me if there were true.”

_He has a point there_ , Armie conceded to himself.

Armie could only watch helplessly as Timmy stood up in a fury, getting ready to indignantly exit the break room. Timmy hovered over Armie in his chair, taller than him for once, pointing an accusatory finger directly into Armie’s face.

“You know what, Armie? I like you, and I think you like me, too. So, I don’t know… _FUCK_ the four year age-difference. You can’t keep rejecting me and think that I’m just going to wait for you. So, think about _that_ , ok? See you tomorrow.”

And with that, Timmy left Armie slack-jawed and speechless, watching Timmy’s slim form retreat down the hall.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy recovers from Armie's rejection. Armie tries to recover from the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter a lot. And we all need this kind of fluff right now. Love and strength to you all
> 
> and Black Lives Matter!

Chapter Eight

As soon as Timmy hit the sidewalk, he texted Will: _Dude where are you_

He got an immediate response back: _Wow that was fast. That can’t be good. I’m at Protos picking up a pie_

Timmy messaged right back: _I’ll meet you there See you in five_

Will was already on the sidewalk holding a large pizza box when Timmy walked up. He noted Timmy’s grim expression and his face contorted with concern.

“Dude, what happened? Was the text a mistake?”

Timmy jerked his head to indicate to Will to start walking; they set off towards Will’s apartment.

“I’ll tell you everything at your house. Do you have any beer? I _really_ need a beer.”

At Will’s apartment, the boys grabbed a couple of slices and a beer each, and headed to Will’s bedroom. They made themselves comfortable on Will’s floor, popping open their beers.

“Ok, Timo—tell me everything.”

Timmy took a huge swig of his drink, a bite of his cheese pizza, then recounted the entire exchange in the breakroom, pretty much word for word. When he got to the point in the story where he kissed Armie, Will let out a whoop.

“Holy shit, you did not! _TIMMY_!”

Timmy flushed a bit at his exclamation. “I did. Now shut up and let me finish.”

He told Will how they had kissed for a few minutes before Armie pulled away.

Will fell back against his bed in frustration. “Aw, man. Why’d he do that? So, how was the kiss? Was it everything you dreamed it would be?” Will sat back up and batted his eyelashes coquettishly at Timmy.

Timmy ducked his head to hide his smile. “Shut up, Will. I hadn’t ever thought that we would kiss. _Really_.” He glanced up at Will with a self-satisfied smirk. “But it was amazing. Not that I have that much to compare it to, but Armie knows what he is doing.”

“Okay, so finish the story. He pulled away, and then what? What did he say?”

Timmy recounted the exchange as best he could. His emotions had been running quite high at that point, so their exact words were a little fuzzy.

“So then I stood up and I basically said fuck the age difference, what’s four years? And then I told him that I wouldn’t wait around for him forever, and I left.”

Will looked at him with his mouth gaped open for a moment, then fell back onto the floor, laughing. “Oh damn Tim! You are one ballsy guy.”

He pushed himself back upright then looked Timmy in the eye. “Seriously, dude, good for you. The ball is in his court now, right? What do you think he’s going to do?”

“I have no fucking idea. I could feel his stare burning a hole in my back as I left, though. I think I did the right thing, but who knows.”

“You like him a lot, huh?”

Timmy nodded. “I do. But he is so fucking out of my league, Will. I mean, I _think_ he likes me back for whatever reason, but he definitely tries to hide it. He just needs to get over this stupid obsession with my age.”

“Hey, you’re old enough to drink, right? Let me get you another beer.”

Timmy snorted at that. “You’re hilarious. Yeah, grab two for me while you’re up. And just bring the rest of the pizza back here.”

The two boys spent the next several hours eating, drinking, and playing Mario Kart. Sometime after 9pm, Timmy decided that he should probably show his face at home soon. He stood up to leave and almost fell over.

“Shit, I’m pretty fucked up. I didn’t realize…”

Will counted their empties lined up on his desk. “Yeah, six beers will do that to you. Do you want me to walk you home?”

Timmy stretched and rubbed his eyes. “Nah. The fresh air will sober me up. I’ll be okay. See you tomorrow?”

They clapped each other on their shoulders and Timmy headed out. His brain felt hazy and his vision was a bit bleary. He started unsteadily in the direction of his parents’ apartment, a good 30-minute walk from Will’s building. He was deep in the village, and had to cut right through the center of midtown to get home. He had been walking for about ten minutes when he looked up and realized that he was just a few blocks from Armie’s apartment.

_No, don’t do it. Nothing good will come of it_ , a rational voice in his head warned him. But a louder, drunker voice tried to persuade him: _It can’t hurt to walk by his place. It’s just a few blocks out of your way. No one will know._

And being quite drunk himself, Timmy of course listened to the equally drunk voice in his head. He turned down the side street that led to Armie’s building, trying his best to walk straight and not bump into anyone as he passed them on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, all of the buildings in this neighborhood looked similar, but he remembered the address from the other night. Or, at least he _thought_ he did until he was standing between two identical building, unsure which one was Armie’s. Did he dare look him up on the intercom? And then what? He wasn’t going to actually buzz his apartment!

… _right_?...

Timmy felt a sudden wave of nausea hit him as he weighed his options. The wind had picked up, causing the temperature to plummet since he had left Will’s apartment. Timmy walked up the steps to the nearest building and tried to make out the names on the call box, but his vision was too blurry to clearly see any of them. He pulled his jacket tighter around his thin body, trying to decide what to do. He leaned against the wall of the building, then slowly slid down until he was squatting on the ground next to the front door. His head was starting to pound; he would just rest there for a minute. He was rubbing his temples with his index fingers when a familiar deep voice called from several yards away.

“Timmy?”

Timmy sank even lower against the wall of the building, willing himself to disappear.

Suddenly Armie’s size 15 shoes appeared just a few inches from his own smaller sneakers.

“What are you doing here?”

_Guess it didn’t work._

*****

Armie watched Timmy leave the break room, agitated once again by the boy’s exit. He shook his head in frustration at himself, falling back into his chair. Why was he letting a high school boy get to him? _Again_?

But deep down, he knew that what Timmy said was true: Timmy wasn’t a typical high school boy. He was driven, and responsible, and so fucking talented. And on top of all that, he was obviously really bright, and--as much as Armie tried to ignore this part of his attraction—he actually seemed to get more beautiful every time Armie saw him.

Armie wasn’t sure if he just hadn’t seen Timmy clearly at first, or if getting to know his personality had made him more attractive. But _damn--_ if he wasn’t one of the most stunning human beings Armie had ever seen. He had those expressive eyes that belonged on an old soul who had seen too much life. And then those luscious pink lips that Armie had actually dreamed about. And then, to top it all off, his impossibly cut jawline that no high schooler had any right to have. 

And Armie tried even harder not to imagine Timmy’s body, the body that he had initially dismissed as scrawny and pre-pubescent. But Armie had since seen him in a t-shirt, and he was _not_ bony. His muscles were subtle but defined. He was lean but strong. Just Armie’s body type.

Not that Armie had ever been naked with another man in that way ( _yet_ \--but damn it, that fact had to change eventually) but he watched enough porn to know what he liked: slightly muscular, very pretty twinky-types.

Just. Like. Timmy.

And adding to all that? He was an amazing kisser. Armie was screwed.

Armie sat thinking at the table, needing to immediately list all of the reasons why dating Timmy was a bad idea. If he didn’t, he would definitely take off after him, grab him with both hands, press him against the nearest available vertical surface, and kiss the hell out of him.

So, okay. Reasons. Well, first of all, Timmy was still living at home. Armie had worked his ass off to move out from under his mother’s clutches. Out of her disapproving sight, out of her cold stifling home, and even out of the state that she lived in. It would be a huge step backwards for Armie to date someone who lived with his parents still.

In Armie’s experience, parents were almost always judgmental, nosy, and controlling. Parents were complications, hurdles. So, no—dating someone who still lived at home would be highly undesirable. And what if Timmy wasn’t even out of the closet yet? It had taken Armie until he was 20 years old to come out to his friends and family. He had vowed to never date someone in the closet ever again.

Next reason: Timmy was still in high school. Armie had been out of school for so long, he couldn’t even remember half his teacher’s names. He was a grown-ass man, and to go to parties with a bunch of underage teenagers, sneaking beers? No thanks. What would he do, go to prom with Timmy or something? The entire idea was both appalling and laughable.

Armie stood up from the break table, newly dedicated to his original decision to maintain _only_ a friendship with Timmy. It was the right thing to do. He headed home for a shower, and to see what Nick was up to for the night.

*****

Armie gave an abbreviated version of the afternoon’s events to Nick, trying to not come off like the world’s biggest asshole, but Nick could see right through him.

“When are you going to be honest with yourself, dude? I see it when you talk about him how much you like this kid.” Armie looked away, having no answer to that. Sometimes he really hated that Nick knew him so well.

Nick convinced Armie to accompany him to their favorite Irish pub for Trivia Night, which included half-price beer and appetizers, to get his mind off of Timmy for a while. After a nutritionally-bereft dinner of potato skins and two Guinness pints, Armie begged off the losing trivia team and headed home. Nick was chatting up a pretty brunette and decided to stay.

Armie was glad he had gone out with Nick; the combination of the beer and Nick’s enthusiastic company had successfully distracted him several hours. He had a slight buzz warming his innards, but he wasn’t drunk enough to have to caution himself against sending another ill-advised text. No, he was the perfect amount of inebriated—just enough to fall into bed as soon as he got home, and slide into a deep, dreamless sleep. He couldn’t wait.

He rounded the corner to the block where he lived, and saw a long figure slumped against the wall between his intercom and the front door of his building. A lump appeared in his throat as he recognized that hunched-over form.

“Timmy?” He called out. Timmy visibly stiffened at the sound of Armie’s voice, but he didn’t respond or even look up. Armie walked up to where he was slouched on the ground.

“What are you doing here?” He nudged Timmy’s body with his toe. “Timmy? Look at me please.”

Timmy’s face slowly turned up until he was looking directly at Armie. Armie could tell immediately that he was drunk—his eyes were unfocused and glassy, and his cheeks were more flushed than usual. He looked distressed. Armie squatted down next to him.

“Are you okay? Come on, let’s get you upstairs. I can make you some coffee or tea or something.”

He helped Timmy up off the ground. Timmy looked away from Armie, rubbing his eyes. “You weren’t supposed to see me here,” he mumbled, his words slurring a bit.

Armie nodded sympathetically. He understood what it was like to make a bad decision after a few too many drinks. “I get it, believe me. It’s alright, though, Timmy. You don’t have to be embarrassed. Come one, let’s go inside. It’s freezing out here.”

Timmy followed Armie inside, then into the elevator. Armie watched Timmy try desperately to seem less drunk and his heart lurched. He looked so small and vulnerable; Armie had to stop himself from taking him into his arms and giving him a reassuring hug.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to try and kiss you again,” Timmy said, looking at a space somewhere over Armie’s shoulder.

Armie gave a soft chuckle. “I trust you.” He wanted to ask Timmy what he was doing at his building, but decided to save that question for when Timmy was more sober.

A few minutes later, Armie had settled Timmy onto his couch, offered him a glass of water and some Ibuprophin for his headache, and was busying himself in the kitchen, making Timmy a cup of tea. He was not a tea drinker at all, but Nick always kept a few bags in their cupboard for his frequent female guests. He opened a packet of English Breakfast as the water heated up.

“Should we call your parents, Timmy? Will they be… “ Armie walked out of the kitchen to find Timmy splayed across his sofa, passed out cold. He sighed with a bit of concern; he hoped that Timmy’s parents were not wondering where he was. He decided that when Nick got home, he would borrow his car to drive Timmy home. He would be sober enough by then.

Armie froze where he was standing, unable to peel his eyes away from Timmy’s prone form. His body looked so long, taking up the entire length of his couch; his face soft and unguarded in sleep. Armie tried to ignore the ache that throbbed in his chest when he gazed at Timmy. The only thought in his head was 'So beautiful.'

He decided to just let Timmy be for a bit. He fell into the lumpy chair across from the couch, and watched Timmy sleep, ignoring the voice in his head telling him that that was a bit creepy. Eventually, his own eyes fell shut and he dropped into a light slumber.

****

Timmy woke up with a crick in his neck, his face smashed against a musty cushion, his long legs hanging off the end of a too-short sofa. It took him a second to get his bearings, but then he remembered with crushing mortification that he had passed out on Armie’s couch. He opened a tentative eye to see Armie in what appeared to be an incredibly uncomfortable position on a chair across from where Timmy had been sleeping. His arms were crossed in front of his body, and he was slumped over, his head dropped onto his shoulder.

Timmy’s first thought was, _Why is he sleeping here? Why not go to bed?_ And then the realization dawned on him that Armie had been watching over him. It all came back to him: Armie had brought him water and pain medication. He was going to make him tea. _Armie was taking care of him_. Timmy’s heart pounded in his chest, trying not to read too much into it.

Timmy reached over for the glass of water that Armie left him and took a long sip, his eyes never leaving Armie’s body. God, he was perfect. Even with his mouth gaped open, a tiny bit of drool collecting in the crook of his lips, he was movie star gorgeous. And the fact that he was taking such good care of Timmy when he had been a drunken idiot showing up unannounced at his building just made him all that much more attractive.

Armie shifted in his sleep. His eyes slowly slid open and immediately found Timmy’s, as though they had somehow called him out of his dreams. Neither man said anything for several seconds, not wanting to break the feeling that was passing between them. After a moment, Armie stood up and walked to the couch. Timmy silently turned to his side, pushing his body against the back of the couch to make room for him. Armie sat gingerly beside him, gently touching Timmy’s cheek with the back of his hand.

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Timmy shrugged. “Better now.” His voice was raspy. He cleared his throat, keeping his eyes fastened on Armie. He felt that something was about to happen, but he refused to be the one to take the next step.

Armie’s face clouded with conflict, as if a war was raging inside his head. But his eyes stayed locked on Timmy’s and it appeared that whatever argument he was having with himself, he was most likely losing.

“I’m not going to do it,” Timmy said quietly. “If you want to kiss me, kiss me. But I’m not going to be the one to do it this time. And Armie? If you do… please be sure it’s what you really want.”

Armie took a sharp intake of breath at Timmy’s words. “Fuck,” he muttered.

Armie hesitantly leaned down, beginning to close the space between them. He got within a few inches of Timmy’s mouth; he could feel Timmy’s warm breath, ragged with anticipation, on his lips. Something in him abruptly snapped, and whatever resolve he had been holding onto completely dissolved. He snaked a hand behind Timmy’s head and roughly covered his mouth with his own, kissing him with an intensity that was almost frightening.

A surprised but encouraging moan escaped from Timmy, and Armie responded by opening his mouth, letting their tongues mingle. It was a raw kiss, all spit and teeth and gasps of air, and it was _giving Armie life_. He shifted his body until he was positioned on top of Timmy.

“Is this okay?” he pulled away long enough to ask. “I don’t want to crush you.”

Timmy shook his head feverishly, grabbing Armie’s chin and pulling his face back to his own. Armie kept most of his weight on his elbows that bracketed Timmy’s thin body, but they were still pressed flush against each other. Armie’s body began responding to the kiss, and he was actively resisting the urge to roll his hips down into Timmy when he felt Timmy thrust his own hips up. Timmy’s firm erection pushed relentlessly against Armie’s thigh. Armie sighed into Timmy’s mouth at how _right_ it all felt.

They made-out like horny middle schoolers for almost an hour, keeping to deep kisses and slightly desperate rutting. Armie literally ached to take their actions further--to find Timmy's throbbing cock with his hand, or to wriggle out of his own tee-shirt--but he was unsure of Timmy’s level of experience and was too aware of his own: almost none. So he kept his hands respectfully around Timmy's neck, and Timmy's hands stayed regretfully on Armie's back.

Time seemed to be melting away when Nick’s keys jangled in the door. Armie lifted away from Timmy’s mouth, wiping away their mingled spit with the back of his hand.

“My roommate,” he said apologetically.

Timmy’s eyebrows shot up. “Should we get up?”

Armie smiled a bit sheepishly. “It’s okay. He knows about you.”

Timmy couldn’t help but grin back at this. “He does? What does he know?”

Armie pressed his lips to Timmy's forehead. “More than me, it turns out.”

At that, the door swung open and Nick staggered in, clearly quite drunk. He froze when he spied Timmy and Armie on the couch, a stupid grin spreading across his face.

"Hey Arms! And who is this?"

"Nick, this is Timmy. Timmy, this is my drunk roommate, Nick."

Nick let out a celebratory shout. “Fucking finally, dude!”

_Yup, fucking finally_ , Armie agreed in his head. He glanced down at Timmy, who looked embarrassed but pleased. Armie planted a soft kiss on his nose, then pushed off of him. 

"Come on, Timmy. Let's get you home."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little somethin-somethin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so YES this is a short chapter, but I wanted to get this story going again. I'm going away for a few days, but I will be focusing on this fic 100% when I get back. So this is just a little taste of what is coming up. 
> 
> I hope people are still interested in this fic (fingers crossed)!
> 
> Also, thank you to all my readers for the incredible response to Dinner for Four. I worried that it was a little over-the-top and I'm relieved and overjoyed that so many people enjoyed it! xoxox

Chapter Nine

Timmy pulled on his sneakers while Armie went to get Nick’s car keys from the bedroom. Nick had retreated to the bathroom to give the boys some privacy. Timmy was slowly sobering up and his mind was reeling. Armie liked him. Like, _liked_ him, liked him. What did this mean, where could this go? His stomach was fluttering and his lips were still swollen from the make-out session on the couch. He was having trouble thinking straight.

He stood up from the couch and stretched his long body. His headache was almost gone and he was feeling better after his quick nap. He was gulping down his glass of water when Armie returned.

“Ready to go? Do you want some more water before we leave?”

Timmy set down the glass, shaking his head. “I’m okay. Thank you again for taking such good care of me, Armie. I… I’m sorry for just showing up at your door like that.”

Armie jiggled the keys in his hand and stepped closer to Timmy. “I’m glad you did.”

He gave Tim a soft, shy smile, reaching over to rub his fist that held the car keys against Timmy’s hand. “Come on. We better get you home.”

The boys walked in comfortable silence to the elevator, stealing glances and gifting small smiles to each other. Once they were inside it and the door slid shut, Armie walked over to Timmy and pulled him into a tight embrace. Timmy inhaled his scent—a potent mix of smoke and beer and cologne and just a tinge of sweat. Timmy didn’t think he had ever been physically attracted to a smell before, but the masculinity of it cut right through him.

Timmy hummed in approval, then lifted his face, pressing his mouth to Armie’s neck. The skin there was scratchy and hot and smelled even stronger like Armie. Timmy let his lips fall open, mouthing Armie’s throat like a fish in heat. Armie groaned helplessly.

“Fuck, Timmy. If you keep doing that, we might have to go back up to my apartment.” He reluctantly pulled away from Timmy as the elevator door opened, both men adjusting themselves as they entered the parking garage. Timmy followed Armie to Nick’s beat-up Camry with a proud smirk.

Timmy gave Armie his address, and they took off into midtown Manhattan. Timmy didn’t have his license yet and seeing Armie behind the wheel, confident and experienced, gave him a rush. It also made Timmy feel young and small, but he found that he didn't mind. He sat back in the passenger seating, enjoying the view of Armie and the city passing by his window, and at the same time tried to wrap his head around… several things.

Armie was not straight. Armie was gay. Armie was gay and had _kissed him_. A lot. Several times. Timmy grinned as he remembered every detail of their time on the couch. His half-hard cock grew heavier and he shifted in his seat, trying to hide the evidence of his lustful thoughts.

“What are you smiling about?” Armie asked, glancing over at Timmy. He made a smooth turn onto 9th Street where Timmy’s family lived.

“I was so sure you were straight,” Timmy admitted, ducking his head in embarrassment.

“Yeah? Based on _what_?” A small snort of laughter escaped Armie’s mouth.

Timmy gave a small shrug. “Nothing, I guess. Maybe I convinced myself of that so I wouldn’t allow myself even a flicker of hope that you could like me back. Although you did a pretty good job of convincing me of that yourself.”

Armie laid a hand on Timmy’s thigh and gave a quick squeeze. “I was an ass. I’m sorry.” He pointed at the high rise that loomed in front of them. “Is this it? Where should I drop you off?”

Timmy directed Armie into the parking garage. Armie pulled into a guest spot, turned the car off and faced Timmy. “Will your parents be upset? It’s really late.”

“Nah. I texted my mom earlier. They’re cool. It’s probably good that I’ve sobered up, though.” Timmy pulled his bottom lip into his mouth, wondering if Armie was going to kiss him again.

Armie nodded, his eyes studying Timmy until he squirmed under the scrutiny. “Well, I better go. Thank you for the ride, Armie. And for… everything.”

Timmy reached to open the car door, but Armie gripped his arm. “Wait, Timmy. Can I take you out this weekend?”

Timmy spun back to face Armie, a grin splitting his face open wide. “Of course! When?”

“I have to work early Saturday morning, so how about Saturday night? I’ll pick you up here at 7?”

Timmy nodded quickly. “Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow in class?”

“See you tomorrow, Timmy.” Armie leaned over and laid a soft kiss on Timmy’s lips, lighting him up like a Roman candle. He croaked out a scratchy, “Bye,” then walked to the elevator, floating on air. He was going on a date with Armie!

*****

_Timmy-Tim: Guess where I just was_

_Will: My house. Duh. But that was hours ago??_

_Timmy-Tim: NO ARMIES HOUSE_

_Will: WTF spill dude_

_Timmy-Tim: I made a detour after your house to his. We made out on his couch for like an hour_

_Will: W…T…F????_

_Timmy-Tim: we’re going on a date Saturday nite_

_Will: dude I am so happy for you. Tell me all the details tomorrow._

_Will: I knew he was gay_

_Timmy-Tim: he smells like a lumberjack or some shit. so fucking hot_

_Will: ok maybe not all the details_

_Will: see you manana_

_*****_

The next afternoon, Timmy got to acting class early and grabbed a chair then, after a second of consideration, grabbed one for Armie. After he settled in, he realized that he would need to actually sit with his scene partner, Lauren. He silently cursed himself for the choice he had made on Tuesday, making assumptions about Armie without even talking to him.

_It’s just one scene. Get over it,_ he chastised himself. Lauren arrived a few minutes later, her eyes lighting up when she spied Timmy. She fell into the chair next to him and began chatting excitedly about what scene they might be assigned. Timmy listened with half an ear, one eye on the door watching for Armie while she spoke.

Gretchen greeted the class and reminded everyone to sit with their seat partners. As she was speaking, Armie slipped into class late, quickly sliding into the seat his partner Ben had saved for him. As soon as he was settled in, he cast his eyes about the room until they found Timmy’s. Armie gave a small smile and lifted his chin, and Timmy let out the breath he had been holding since Armie had entered the room. Timmy grinned back and all felt right in the world.

The class crawled by slowly, and Timmy missed half of it, distracted by Armie's presence. Every time he glanced over to where he was sitting, the older man was looking at him, or he would somehow sense Timmy’s eyes on him and immediately glance up, his beautiful smile appearing every time.

The class finally ended; Tim threw his backpack over his shoulder and saw with a lovely twist in his stomach that Armie was waiting for him by the door. He waved goodbye to Lauren and headed to where Armie was standing.

“Hey. Are you waiting for me?”

Armie rolled his eyes, teasing. “Of course I’m waiting for you. How did your scene with Lauren go?”

Timmy shifted his backpack to his other arm. “It was okay. She’s pretty good.” He glanced up at Armie. “I could kick myself for not partnering with you, though. I’m sorry.”

Armie shook his head. “Stop. No more apologies. It’s one scene, no big deal. Anyway, I just wanted to check in with you about this weekend.”

Timmy’s heart fell. Something must be wrong. “Do you need to cancel?”

“What? No! I just wanted to make sure you were okay with pizza. Do you mind if we go somewhere casual? I’m, uh, on a limited budget.” Armie ran his hand through his hair, uncomfortable with the admission.

“Armie, we can totally split the bill. I don’t mind.”

Armie inched closer to Timmy and rubbed his pinky against his hand. “No, I want to take you out. It’s our first date. I asked you, and I will pay.”

Timmy’s heart skipped at the phrase ‘first date,’ hoping that Armie meant there would be more. He opened his mouth to reply when Gretchen suddenly appeared beside them.

“Armie, Timmy! I had hoped that you would work together again,” she exclaimed, looking a bit disappointed.

The boys each took a step away from each other, suddenly aware that they were practically in an embrace.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll partner again. We just wanted to spread the wealth around a bit. Right, Timmy?” Armie replied nonchalantly. Timmy nodded in agreement.

Gretchen’s eyes flitted between the two of them, and her grin grew as she seemed to pick up on the tension between them. “I knew you would. Alright, then. Well… see you both next week.” And with a quick wink, she was gone.

The two boys looked at each other bewildered. Armie shook his head and chuckled. “I feel like Gretchen knows something we didn’t know. Anyway, let’s get out of here. I’ll walk you out.”

They left the building, talking easily about the scenes they would be doing the next week. Timmy worked to push his disappointment at not getting to rehearse with Armie that weekend out of his mind. They reached the corner and stopped walking, needing to travel in different directions. Armie faced Timmy and tucked a stray hair behind his ear, sending a shiver of pleasure down Timmy’s spine.

“I’ll call you tomorrow?”

Timmy nodded quickly, his brain fuzzy from having Armie so close, touching him. Armie slowly leaned down and brushed his lips softly against Timmy’s, then turned to go. Before he could step away, Timmy grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

“What's the…” Before Armie could finish the sentence, Timmy pulled him down into a hard, deep kiss, looping his hands around Armie’s neck to hold him close. Timmy wanted to have another memorable kiss sober. One that he could take to bed with him that night, and remember first thing in the morning. A kiss that he could still feel on his lips and taste in his mouth by the time he got home.

They stood on the street corner making out, ignoring the sounds of the cars and people rushing by, and just enjoyed the feel of each other’s lips.

Timmy finally pulled away, out of breath, his heart beating out of his chest. Armie slowly opened his eyes to gaze down at Timmy.

“Wow…” he breathed.

Timmy couldn’t help a slightly cocky smile. He had made Armie both breathless and speechless. He turned to go, calling “Bye Armie!” over his shoulder as he headed home to think about that kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: the boys go on a REAL DATE!
> 
> If you like what you've read, please leave a comment! xoxo


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie and Timmy go on their first date. PURE FLUFF.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write... I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Thank you all for the wonderful support you have given this fic! I appreciate all of my readers so much xoxox

Chapter Ten

Armie grabbed his phone out of his back pocket to check time, frustrated to see that it was already 7:22pm. He had hoped to get to the pizzeria by 7:30 to grab his favorite table before the restaurant got too busy, but there was no way that was going happen now. 

_Why can’t you get your shit together, Hammer?_ he chastised himself. He had been actually ahead of schedule for once, so he had cracked open a beer, sat down to watch Nick play Overwatch, and had lost track of time. Now he was sweating and out-of-breath from the stress of trying to find a parking space in Timmy’s neighborhood then rushing to the front door of his building.

He pressed the buzzer and Timmy’s voice responded immediately. “Armie?”

“It’s me. I am so sorry I’m late. Are you ready to go?”

“I was starting to think you were going to stand me up. I’m ready but, um, my mom wants to meet you.”

Armie’s stomach dropped. This was not in the plans for the night. Not only were they running late, but the thought of meeting Timmy’s mother—on their first date!—was nothing short of terrifying.

When Armie didn’t respond right away, Timmy got back on the intercom, his voice small. “It will be quick, I promise. I don’t think I can go if you don’t come up.”

Armie found his voice then, not wanting to make Timmy feel worse than he apparently already felt. “No, no, that’s fine. Buzz me up.”

As he waited for the elevator, a tiny part of his brain reminded him: _See? This is why you didn’t want to date a high schooler. You would never be dealing with this if you were dating someone your own age._

Those doubts were silenced as soon as Timmy opened his front door. He gave Armie the sweetest smile, tentative and nervous, and every uncertainty Armie had was once again gone. Armie stepped into the Chalamet home, his hands in his pockets, a touch anxious himself. Timmy was wearing a emerald green sweater that made Armie long to reach out and touch, but he sensed that Timmy was keeping his distance, so he just smiled.

“Sorry again that I was late. I’m realizing that that’s a bad habit of mine. In Los Angeles, things never start on-time and everyone is late for everything. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Timmy’s eyes swept quickly over Armie, as if he could not help himself, landing on his eyes. “I’m just glad you’re here now. My mom is watching t.v. in the other room. You’re lucky—my dad is out otherwise you’d be meeting him, too. Are you ready?”

He looked so unsure, like he had the day he had come to the coffee shop to rehearse. And once again, Armie was the cause of it. Armie reached out and caressed a finger down the arm of Timmy’s sweater. It was even softer than it looked.

“Of course. Lead the way.”

Armie followed Timmy down a short hallway to the living room. An attractive brunette woman was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine watching Jeopardy.

“Mom, Armie is here.”

His mom immediately turned off the television and stood to face the boys. Her face froze in surprise at the sight of Armie. Armie’s stomach dropped—he had no idea who Timmy’s mom was expecting, but it appeared that it wasn’t him.

Timmy either didn’t notice or pretended not to. “Mom, this is Armie. Armie, this is my mom, Nicole Flender.”

Nicole quickly gathered herself and gave Armie a beautiful smile, reaching an arm out to shake Armie’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Armie. Where are you boys going tonight?”

“I’m taking Timmy to Keste for pizza, and then I thought that we could walk around the Village a little after. Maybe get some ice cream.”

Timmy glanced up at him with a huge smile, apparently liking Armie’s ideas.

“Okay mom,” he said, grabbing Armie’s hand and starting to walk away. “You met Armie, and now we have to go. Right, Armie?”

“Slow down, Timmy. I want to get to know Armie a bit. Timmy said that you are from Los Angeles?”

“Yes, recently. But I grew up all over. Texas, Oklahoma, the Cayman Islands.”

“Really? How interesting. I’d love to hear more about that someday. And you met in Timmy’s acting class?

“His new one, yes. We were scene partners last week.”

“So he mentioned. And… how old did you say you are?”

Timmy covered his eyes with a hand in mortification. “Mom! Stop interrogating him. Armie, let’s go.”

Armie laughed, accepting that this was the price he would have to pay tonight. “No, it’s ok. I’m 22, Nicole.”

Nicole’s smile never faltered, but eyebrows rose ever so slightly. She nodded a few times, then turned to Timmy. “Be home by midnight.”

“Of course, mom.”

“Nice to meet you, Armie. Have fun.”

Armie breathed out the tiniest sigh of relief. It was over. “Nice to meet you, too, Nicole. Thank you.”

*****

As soon as they were alone in the elevator, Timmy turned to Armie, his face pink with embarrassment.

“I am so sorry, Armie. I didn’t know she was going to ask how old you are.”

Armie stepped closer to Timmy, running his palm down the sleeve of his sweater. “Don’t worry about it. But can I tell you something? You look absolutely gorgeous in this sweater.”

“Yeah?”

Armie knew he had only a few seconds before they reached the ground floor. He pulled Timmy tightly against him, leaning down to take Timmy’s luscious lips in his own. Timmy gave a soft whimper as Armie ran his hands up and down his back. The sweater was cashmere and felt like angel’s wings.

The elevator pinged, alerting the boys that they had reached their destination. Armie pulled away from Timmy, his mouth still vibrating from the kiss.

“Yeah.”

*****

There was a short wait at the restaurant to get a table by the front window, but Timmy didn’t mind. Despite the awkward beginning to their date—Armie being late, sending Timmy into a panic about getting stood up, and then having to drag Armie upstairs to meet his mom who proceeded to give him what felt like the third degree—the date was going incredibly well.

Timmy was surprised that Armie had Nick’s car (“I wanted to take you on a proper first date in a car, not schlepping around on the subway”), and they had found a miracle parking spot on the street only a block from the restaurant. Armie joked that Timmy must be a good luck charm for finding parking spots, adding that he would have to bring Timmy along every time he borrowed Nick’s car from then on. Timmy’s heart swelled at the insinuation of them spending more time together in the future.

After only ten-minutes, a table was ready for them. As they followed the hostess to their table, Armie leaned down and whispered, “See? You really _are_ my good luck charm.” Timmy’s entire body heated up from Armie’s words. He was finally starting to believe that maybe Armie really _did_ actually like him.

The waitress came and Timmy ordered a root beer.

“That sounds good. I’ll have one of those, too,” Armie said with an easy smile.

“Why don’t you get a beer?” Timmy asked after the waitress was gone. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Armie picked up his menu. “I don’t want to drink if you aren’t. I should never have had that beer in front of you when you came to my place. It was a dick move.” He glanced over the menu at Timmy. “A lot of things I did when we first met were dick moves.”

Timmy shrugged. “Whatever. I know you’re not a dick now, Armie.”

“Most of the time.”

Timmy grinned. “Most of the time. Okay, what kind of pizza are we getting? I like plain cheese.”

Armie gasped in horror. “Plain cheese?? No way. I need meat. A _lot_ of meat.”

“That’s what she said,” Timmy retorted with a smirk.

Armie snorted and licked his lips. “Um, no. That’s what ** _I_** said.”

He waggled his eyebrows at Timmy with mock lasciviousness. Timmy giggled and looked down at his menu, enjoying how easy the date felt already. The restaurant was loud and they were almost elbow-to-elbow with the surrounding tables, but Timmy felt like they were in their own private bubble. He didn’t have much experience, but he guessed that most first dates usually did not feel like this.

The waitress came and took their order of a large half-cheese, half-pepperoni, ham, meatball, and sausage pizza. Timmy laughed as she walked away. “That was the most ridiculous pizza order ever.”

“Well, I had to make up for your boring order. So, tell me about working on Prodigal Son. I want to live vicariously through your experience since I may never get cast in an actual Broadway production.”

“You will, Armie. You are such a talented actor. I just got lucky, getting cast in that.”

“Timmy, do not sell yourself short. I read the reviews… there was no luck in your performance. That was all you.” Timmy glanced up and saw that same soft look in Armie’s eyes that he’d had in Armie’s kitchen their first night together. Timmy knew then that it had not been all in his head. Armie just hadn’t been ready yet to acknowledge the feelings that had passed between them so strongly that evening.

They talked more about Timmy’s experience on the show until their pizza came, Armie asking a dozen questions and Timmy trying his best to answer. Once they started eating, Timmy changed the subject. He had talked about himself enough and really wanted to get to know Armie better.

“So why did you move to New York from Los Angeles? Isn’t that the best city to be in if you want to break into show business?”

Armie took a huge bite of his pizza, chewing while he considered Timmy’s question.

“Yeah, if you want to break into television or movies. But I have always loved theater. When we were younger, Nick would write skits and make us act in them. Our other friends, Tyler and Ashton, would humor him, but they would bitch about it the entire time. But I loved it. I didn’t do theater in high school because it wasn’t _cool_ , so I played basketball instead. Because, you know, 6 feet 5. But right after high school, I started doing community theater, and then I was in some small box, experimental theater productions. But there didn't seem to be anywhere to go after that. I eventually realized that as long as I stayed in Los Angeles, any real career in theater would be almost impossible.”

“And that’s when you decided to move to New York?” Timmy tried to imagine going to a school that discouraged theater, where you had to hide what you loved because of what people thought. It made him even more thankful that he went to a performing arts high school.

Armie shook his head, and his eyes looked sad. “No, I wasn’t that brave. I was actually going to go work for my dad. That's what my mom wanted, and she can be very, um... persuasive. I was going to put away my dreams of being an actor forever.”

“So what happened?” Timmy was so fascinated by Armie’s story, he could barely tear his eyes from his beautiful face to take a bite of his pizza.

“Nick knew what we both really wanted. He wants to write plays and I want to act in them. So he went behind my back and found us a shitty apartment in Chelsea. He put down the deposit, rented a truck, and told me that we were leaving in two weeks. I tried to argue, but the more he talked, the more excited I got. He helped me get headshots and research acting classes. That’s how I found Gretchen’s class.”

Timmy realized that he would have to thank Nick the next time he saw him. Without his interference, Armie would still be in California.

“Nick is a good friend.”

Armie grinned. “Yeah, he really is. I pretended to be pissed, but I was actually so grateful to him. I should tell him that again someday.”

Timmy gave Armie a shy smile. “You should. And tell him that… I’m grateful to him, too.”

Armie looked up, and two boys grinned like idiots at each other, then dove back into their pizza.

****

After dinner, Timmy and Armie decided to wander around the Village with no particular destination in mind, just talking and enjoying the mild late winter evening. Armie felt incredibly content, holding Timmy’s hand, chatting about the shops and restaurants as they passed by. He was just about to suggest a gelato shop that was on the next block when Timmy’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. He paused to read it, then immediately shoved his phone back in his pocket and kept walking.

“Anything important?” Armie asked. Timmy’s face was unreadable, but Armie sensed that the text had somehow affected him.

“Nah. It was Giullian. It’s his girlfriend’s birthday and they’re having party in Hell’s Kitchen. He wants us to stop by, but I’m just going to ignore it.”

Armie stopped walking and touched Timmy’s sleeve. “Do you want to go? Timmy, if you want to go, we can go. I don’t mind.”

Timmy shook his head. “I’m not going to drag you to a high school party, Armie. I know how you feel about me being in high school still.”

Timmy looked away, and Armie suddenly knew what Timmy was thinking. He wanted to go to his friends’ party. He wanted to bring Armie, maybe even show him off. But Armie had made him feel bad about how young he was—several times—and Timmy was embarrassed to ask him to go.

Armie knew what he had to do. “We’re going Timmy. I want to go to this party, and meet your friends. Text your friend back and tell him we’ll be there in twenty.”

Timmy’s face lit up at Armie’s words. “Really? You don’t mind? I mean, it’s just going to be a bunch of 17 and 18 years-olds drinking cheap beer and acting like fools.”

“Sounds like a blast. Let’s go.”

Timmy grinned as he took out his phone to let Giullian know that they were on their way.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to Giullian's party, which proves to be eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the enthusiastic reception this fic has had. I appreciate all of you more than you know!
> 
> xoxox

Chapter 11

The birthday party was at Giullian’s brownstone in Hell’s Kitchen, so the boys dropped off Nick’s car back at Armie’s apartment, then set off to the party from there. It was a good 30-minute walk from his place, but Timmy and Armie didn’t mind. It was a cool night with no wind, perfect for a stroll through Midtown Manhattan. They held hands and never seemed to run out of things to talk about, from auditions-gone-wrong to their first time on stage. Eventually the conversation turned to their romantic pasts, a topic Timmy had been hoping to avoid. He decided to be honest with Armie about his lack of experience.

“For me, there is almost nothing to say. I have never had a boyfriend, and I’ve had only one kind-of girlfriend, back in ninth grade. But that relationship was really was just an experiment, to see if there was a chance that I was wrong about who I was. Turns out, I wasn’t. Besides that, I’ve made out with a couple of guys at parties, one with the added bonus of a really bad hand job,” he added with an embarrassed smile. He glanced up at Armie. “How about you? I’m sure your history is much more interesting.”

“Well, first off, I am not a virgin,” he said, squeezing Timmy’s hand to reassure him. “But I… I’ve never been with a man. Like… sex. I’ve done pretty much everything else, though.”

He noticed a pink blush creeping up Timmy’s neck, and realized that maybe he had come in a bit too hot. “I’m sorry. Was that too much information?”

Timmy quickly shook his head. “No, no. I want to know everything. I’m just… I just feel like such a kid.”

Armie suddenly stopped on the sidewalk and pulled Timmy to the side so he could look into his eyes as they talked.

“Timmy, don’t ever apologize for how old you are, or your lack of experience. I have only been out of the closet for two years, and to be honest, I haven’t really been with anyone since moving to New York. I’m still figuring it all out myself. So… we can figure it out together. Okay?”

Timmy swallowed, nodding quickly. Armie made him want to try everything he had ever heard of two men doing together, and even things that he hadn’t heard of yet, but knew he would someday. He made a note to watch some gay porn to find out what some of those things might be.

“I’d like that,” he croaked. Armie leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss. A cold wind suddenly came out of nowhere and blew through their jackets. Timmy shivered.

“Come on, we better get a move on before it starts to snow.” Armie kept an arm around Timmy as they walked, keeping his date warm in the winter night.

*****

They got to Giullian’s house just after 10pm, and Timmy texted him to let them in. Giullian appeared at the door, grabbing Timmy in a drunken hug, then stood back to take in all of Armie.

“Armie, man. So nice to meet you.” He shook Armie’s hand with excessive enthusiasm, then looked over at Timmy with his eyebrows raised. “Dude. Dude!”

Armie chuckled at Giullian’s response to him. “Nice to meet you, too.”

Timmy beamed with pride at Giullian’s reaction. Armie certainly made a striking first impression--towering and gorgeous. Timmy recalled the first time he laid eyes on him as he entered Timmy’s acting class like a visiting movie star. Timmy’s chest swelled with joy at the fact that Armie chose to be there with him that night. He was enduring a teenage drunkfest simply because he liked Timmy _just that much_. The very thought made Timmy want to drag Armie into the nearest bedroom and devour him.

_Maybe later,_ he thought with a smile.

They followed Giullian down the front hallway of the old brownstone. Old school Notorious B.I.G boomed from the living room, and as they made their way through the party, Timmy’s name was shouted from every side: “Tim! Timmy-Tim! T!”

Timmy clutched Armie with one hand and waved to people as they passed with the other. He didn’t stop to introduce Armie to anyone yet, despite all the curious stares. He needed a bit more alcohol in his system before he faced all the questions, comments and inevitable teasing from his friends and classmates. Giullian led them into the thankfully empty kitchen so they could grab a few beers, giving Timmy a moment to prepare himself.

He handed Armie a beer from the cooler and cracked one open for himself, taking a long, much needed sip. Armie leaned down, and murmured in your ear, “So are you ready to show me off?”

Timmy laughed at Armie’s arrogance, but also because he was right. All Timmy really wanted to do was climb onto the dining room table and announce to everyone at the party that this beautiful man was _his date_. That he had chosen to be with Timmy. That he _had kissed_ Timmy, several times.

A moment later, Giullian appeared with a beautiful dark skinned girl, introducing her to Armie as Leanne, the birthday girl and his girlfriend. Leanne giggled and tossed her hair as Armie shook her hand.

Giullian rolled his eyes and leaned over to Timmy. “You better get used to this. Every girl at this party has noticed your boyfriend already.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Timmy quickly replied, but he suddenly wasn’t so sure that he wanted to take Armie around to meet everyone anymore. Having to fight for his attention with every simping female at the party didn’t actually sound that fun.

“I need a shot,” he muttered, watching Leanne laugh uproariously at something Armie was saying.

“I’m right behind you, brother.” Giullian poured two extra-large Fireball shots and handed one to Timmy. “Cheers, Timmy-Tim.”

They clinked their glasses and quickly downed the liquor. Armie appeared at Timmy’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“You’re doing shots without me? Not cool,” he said with pretend frown.

“Well, you were busy flirting with Leanne, so I didn’t think you would care.” Timmy’s words were starting to slur; his head becoming blissfully hazy. His worries about Armie and the girls at the party were fading away… exactly the effect he had hoped to achieve with the shot.

“Timmy, I wasn’t… ”

“I know, I’m just kidding. Come on, let me show you off.” A hiccough mixed with a giggle escaped from his lips. “I mean show you _around_.”

He took Armie’s hand and led him into the living room, where several groups of teenagers were hanging out in small clusters, drinking, talking and laughing. He spied Will with a few of his other friends on the couch and pulled Armie over to meet them. They stopped talking and looked up with expectant grins when Timmy approached them, clutching Armie’s hand.

His friend Jake spoke up first. “Tim, my boy! Didn’t think you were going to show tonight! So is this the famous Armie?”

Timmy kicked Jake’s shin before he said more. The last thing he needed was for his friends to start spilling Timmy’s secrets on his first date with Armie. “Guys, this is Armie. Armie, this is Jake, Violetta, and Kaia. And you remember Will, right? Armie is in my new acting class.”

Armie crouched down to shake everyone’s hands, and Timmy could tell from their expressions that they were… impressed? Surprised? Jealous? He grinned to himself as Armie chatted with them, exuding his usual considerable charm.

Timmy went to get them two more beers, then took Armie around to introduce him to a few more of his friends. Almost everyone at the party was already a bit drunk, and Armie got an exuberant welcome from everyone there. Timmy felt his status among his friends already inching up from this date.

_Hot Girl Summer_ came on and someone turned the music way up and the lights down. A few girls pushed aside the coffee table and started to dance. The darkness and loud music gave the party a slightly wilder feel. Timmy sang along with the lyrics and began to sway to the music.

Armie snaked an arm around his waist and pulled Timmy to his chest. He murmured in his ear, “Has anyone ever told you that you are fucking hot when you dance?”

Timmy grinned, gyrating his hips a bit more exaggeratedly. He bent forward a bit, grinding his ass into Armie’s pelvis. He heard Armie gasp behind him, and felt a sudden twitch in Armie’s jeans. Armie pulled him harder against his crotch.

“You keep doing that and we’re going to have to find a room,” he warned.

Timmy turned in his arms and kissed him hard.

****

Armie wasn’t sure how he had found himself in this state of extreme arousal in the middle of Timmy’s friend’s party, but that’s exactly where he was. Timmy had looked _so good_ all night, and their date had been so easy. He was actually having fun, which was rare for Armie on a first date. But it was different with Timmy. He felt like he already knew Timmy and he was just finding out the details, filling in the blanks. It was never awkward or uncomfortable. It seemed almost unbelievable now that they had had such a rocky start to their relationship.

Then their talk had turned to sex while they were walking, and Timmy had confessed that he was a virgin, in pretty much every way. Armie was embarrassed to admit to himself that this was a total turn-on for him. He loved the idea of being all of Timmy’s firsts. He wanted to be the first one to have his mouth on Timmy. He wanted to be the first one to bury himself deep inside of Timmy. He (maybe?) wanted Timmy to be the first man he allowed to penetrate him. _Maybe._

And the idea of exploring all these new activities with someone he found so fucking attractive? He was lucky he hadn’t arrived at Giullian’s party with a raging hard-on.

But now.

Now he was drunk, and now Timmy was playing the seducer, tempting Armie with a lick of his lips and a glance through his eyelashes. Dancing in front of Armie with his hands in the air, then grinding hard against Armie’s cock, which was growing heavier by the moment.

“Fuck, Timmy,” Armie breathed. He grabbed Timmy around his belly and pulling him tight so his back was flush against Armie’s chest. He buried his lips in Timmy’s curls and finally gave in to the growing ache between his legs, rolling his hips against Timmy’s ass. Timmy whimpered, pressing back into Armie’s erection. It all felt so good, but just made Armie want more.

Timmy suddenly took Armie by his hand and pulled him away from the wall, out of the room. Armie let him lead; the music was too loud to ask him where they were going anyway, and his brain was clouded and stuck on only one thing.

Timmy steered Armie out of the room, down a long hallway past the kitchen, then up a flight of stairs. They passed dozens of people on the way, but it was dark and everyone was drunk. No one paid them any attention at all, and Armie was happy to go wherever Timmy was taking him.

Once they were on the staircase, the music began to fade. Armie asked in a whisper, “Where are we going?” although he had a pretty good idea.

“Shhh. Don’t worry about it,” Timmy slurred. Armie grinned and didn’t ask any more questions. He certainly wasn’t going to worry.

They got to the top of the stairs and Timmy opened the first door they came to. Even in the dark, it was easy to see the room was a mess. Timmy opened the blinds to let the city light up the room rather than turn on a lamp, while Armie pushed the door shut then turned the lock. A large unmade bed took up most of the space, and clothes and books littered the floor. Giullian’s bedroom.

The boys met in the middle of the room. No longer constrained by the watchful eyes of the rest of the party guests, they fell onto each other like ravenous wolves. Armie scooped Timmy into his arms and licked into his mouth, wanting to taste every bit of him. He felt Timmy’s hard length pressing into his thigh, so he lifted his leg, giving Timmy more friction. Timmy groaned and rutted against it.

“Let’s go to the bed,” Timmy whined, desperation evident in his voice.

“Giullian won’t mind?” Armie asked, not really caring but thinking it was the right thing to say.

“I’ll do all his laundry. Whatever, come on,” Timmy panted.

Armie laughed. “Okay, just push off all the shit on his bed.”

Timmy moved quickly, throwing the dirty laundry onto the floor with the rest of the clothes, then moving the few books onto his desk. He pushed the lone blanket to the bottom of the bed and crawled on, holding out his arms for Armie.

Armie took a half a second to look at his date waiting for him on a bed, beautiful and horny as hell, then jumped on top of him. Timmy let out a squeal, until Armie silenced him with his tongue down his throat. Both men were now fully hard and their hips immediately began thrusting into each other.

“Let me touch you, Timmy. Is that okay?”

Timmy nodded eagerly, so Armie rolled off of him and quickly worked the zipper of his jeans. He reached in, slipping his long fingers through the opening of Timmy’s boxers, and felt the hot, velvety smooth skin of Timmy’s cock. His huge hand enveloped Timmy’s entire shaft, and he watched with a smile as Timmy’s eyes rolled back in his head with the touch. He pumped his erection slowly, picking up speed as Timmy thrust into his fist. Timmy bit his lip to keep from yelling out.

Armie wanted to keep watching Timmy’s face contort with pleasure, but he also needed to have his mouth on Timmy… any part of Timmy. He leaned down to suck on the exposed skin of Timmy’s neck, and that seemed to push Timmy over the edge. He called out, “Fuck, Armie…” as his release drained out of him, all over Armie’s hand.

Armie kept his hand on Timmy through his release, sucking on his neck while slowly thrusting his own aching cock against Timmy’s hips. He was so close himself, he just needed the slightest touch…

“Let me get something to clean us up,” he murmured into Timmy’s ear. He had noticed a tissue box on Giullian’s desk when they had first entered the room. He stood up to take a few when the light from Giullian’s nightstand clock caught his attention.

It was 12:20am.

He grabbed a tissue and handed it to Timmy. “Fuck, Timmy. It’s after midnight. We need to get you home.”

Timmy bolted up straight, leaning to look at the clock. His mom had been unhappy with how late he had come home the other night, and had told him that he better not be late tonight or he there would be a consequence. _Fuck._

He reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. Light filled the room, and Armie looked at him and gasped.

“Oh, fuck, Timmy. I am so sorry…”

Armie leaned over and touched Timmy’s neck. Timmy turned to look in the mirror—a huge purple hickey the size of a half-dollar covered half his throat.

_Fuck fuck fuck._

He was going to be in so much trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you read, please consider leaving a comment. It motivates us writers so much to know that our work is being read and enjoyed. Thank you!! xoxox


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy faces the music of coming home late, drunk, and being marked up by an amorous Armie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, but I am going to start immediately on the next chapter, which will be a big one. Thank you all for your support!

Chapter Twelve

Timmy and Armie said hasty goodbyes to Giullian and Leanne, then took off at a fast clip towards Timmy’s house, Timmy swearing the entire way. They made it to Timmy’s front door by 12:50am, inexcusably late. Timmy wanted a real goodbye kiss from Armie so bad he could taste it, but he had no time. Armie reached down to give him the quickest of pecks, mumbling, “I’m so sorry, Timmy” for the tenth time that night. Timmy repeated, as _he_ had all night, “It’s not your fault, Armie,” and then slipped inside.

The elevator seemed to take forever. Once he was finally in front of his apartment, Timmy turned the key and opened the door as slowly and quietly as he could manage. If, by some miracle, his parents had actually gone to sleep, he certainly didn’t want to awaken them. He cracked open the door and relief flooded through his body when he saw that the front hall, living room, and kitchen were all dark. His parents had gone to bed.

Timmy tip-toed down the hallway—no television noise came from his parents’ bedroom. Was it possible that he was going to get away with being so late? His relief came to a screeching halt when he stepped into his bedroom and saw a note on his bed.

_Wake me up when you get home._ In his mother’s handwriting.

Fuck.

Timmy pulled the collar of his jacket up to hide his enormous hickey, and headed into his parents’ room like a doomed convict walking to his execution. As he pushed open their door, he heard both his parents snoring lightly, and he considered for half a moment simply leaving and going to bed. But that would just be putting off the inevitable, most likely making his punishment, whatever it was going to be, even harsher. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the worst.

He crept to his mom’s side of the bed, praying that he wouldn’t wake his father, and tapped her shoulder lightly. Her eyes flew open immediately.

“Tim. You’re home.” She sat up in bed and squinted at the clock on her nightstand. “You’re an hour late,” she whispered, her voice sharp with annoyance.“I know, I’m so sorry mom. We lost track of time. It’s Giullian’s girlfriend’s birthday, so we stopped by his house, and…”

Nicole put up a hand to stop him. “You can tell me tomorrow.” She paused and took a sniff. “You smell like a brewery. I am _really_ not happy with you right now, Timothee.”

Timmy’s stomach twisted with dread and a bit of guilt. He hated when his mom was upset with him. “I’m sorry,” he said again, miserably. There wasn’t anything else he _could_ say.

Nicole lay back down, turning her back to Timmy. “We’ll talk tomorrow,” she repeated.

Timmy sighed and left to get ready for bed.

*****

The next morning, Timmy was shaken out of a deep sleep by his father’s strong hand.

“Timothee, wake up. Your mother and I want to talk to you before we leave to run errands,” came his father’s stern voice. Timmy groaned to himself. This was not the way he wanted to start his Sunday morning.

Timmy turned and saw that both his parents were in his small room, a rare sight. His stomach dropped as he remembered that he was in trouble. He sat up against his pillows to face the music, his head pounding from the alcohol he had consumed the night before. Suddenly his mother’s eyes went wide. Timmy’s hand flew to his neck as he realized what she saw, but it was too late.

“Timmy…” she said as a warning, her eyebrows raising to let him know that she was not in the mood for games. Timmy closed his eyes in misery and lowered his hands. Timmy’s father saw what he had been hiding and let out a chuckle.

“Marc, it’s not funny,” Nicole admonished her husband and then turned back to her son. “Timmy, I was really trying to keep an open mind when it came to this Armie. I wasn’t happy to find out that he is almost 23, but I was trying not to be judgmental. But ever since you’ve been seeing him, you’ve been making poor decision. _TWICE_ now you’ve come home late and drunk after being with him. And now this? I don’t know…” She turned to her husband. “Say something, Marc.”

Marc sighed, not used to disciplining his typically well-behaved son. “Your mother is right, Tim. We don’t want to forbid you from seeing Armie, but maybe it would be best if you slowed down a bit?”

Timmy sat up indignantly. “Slow down?? Last night was our first date! Mom, dad, I swear none of this was Armie’s fault. It was my decision to drink. It was my fault both nights that I was out late. I went to Armie’s place last week after I’d been drinking, and he just drove me home! Please, don’t blame him for this.”

Nicole and Marc glanced at each other, their faces still clouded with concern. Several moments passed as they seemed to communicate silently. Finally Nicole spoke.

“We aren’t going to forbid you from seeing him, Timmy. But we just want you to know that we are concerned. Also, you’re grounded for the week. That will give you some space to think about if seeing someone who is so much older is really such a good idea.”

Timmy opened his mouth to argue, but Marc stopped him. “Be happy it’s only a week. We’ll be back in a few hours.”

With that, they left the room, leaving an irate18-year old. Timmy couldn’t remember the last time he had been grounded. He was 18! Could they even do that to him? He conceded that they did give him a place to sleep and food to eat, and could really do whatever the fuck they wanted. He growled in frustration and turned to face the wall, hoping to go back to sleep.

****

_Armie: Good morning, sunshine. You up?_

_Timmy: mmm no_

_Armie: So was your mom waiting up for you last night? On a scale 1-10, how in trouble are you?_

_Timmy: ugh_

_Timmy: I don’t wanna talk about it_

_Armie: That bad?_

_Timmy: I feel like such a fucking kid_

_Armie: Tell me_

_Armie: TELL ME_

_Timmy: OK! I’m grounded. For a week_

_Armie: Oh man, that sucks. I am so sorry Timmy_

_Timmy: I know. And go ahead_

_Timmy: Say this is what you get for dating someone in hs_

_Armie: I would never! But I deserve that_

_Armie: Shit and I was going to see if you wanted to meet at the park today. I don’t have to work_

_Timmy: Fuck Armie. Don’t tell me that :(_

_Armie: Sorry. But I’ll see you in class Tuesday, right?_

_Timmy: Yeah. Are you working tomorrow afternoon? Maybe I’ll stop by_

_Armie: Don’t do anything that will get you into more trouble_

_Armie: Timmy…._

_Timmy: Ok, yeah youre right_

_Timmy: I can still text and talk. Message me later ok?_

_Armie: Ok. Also…._

_Armie: I had a really good time with you last night. Like, a really really good time_

_Timmy: <3_

_Timmy: Me, too. Sorry I had to fuck everything up_

_Armie: You didn’t ok? Talk soon_

_Timmy: (thumbs up emoji)_

_*****_

Timmy and Armie texted on and off all day Sunday. Much to their relief, the camaraderie they had found on their date continued through their frequent messages. They sent each other silly memes and Tik Toks and a few funny selfies, and texted whatever random thought popped into their head. Timmy ached to see Armie again, but decided that he could wait until Tuesday. The last thing he wanted was to extend his punishment by making a stupid, rash decision.

Tuesday afternoon finally came. Timmy got to class early and slid into the seat that Lauren had saved for him. That day, the partnered pairs were performing the scenes assigned to them the previous week, mostly from the plays of Shakespeare. Timmy and Lauren had been given a short scene from Macbeth; Armie and Ben, a scene from Othello. Armie ran in just as class was starting and fell into the seat next to Ben, trying to catch his breath. His eyes immediately found Timmy’s, and he gave him a grin, happy and relieved to finally see him after three days.

Both boys performed their scenes flawlessly with their partners, receiving enthusiastic applause from the other actors. Timmy felt good about his performance and was appreciative to have had such a competent scene partner in Lauren. But even more, he was glad it was over so he was free to work with (and sit with) Armie again.

Gretchen gave her usual end-of-class announcements, then dismissed the group until Thursday. Lauren turned to Timmy as he stood up to go.

“I really enjoyed working with you, Timmy. Maybe we can partner again next time?”

Timmy gave an awkward nod, trying to think of a polite way to put her off, when he felt a possessive arm wrap tightly around his shoulders.

“Great job today, Timmy.” Armie was suddenly right at his side, murmuring into Timmy’s curls. He glanced down to where Lauren was sitting, as if he had just noticed her there. “Oh, you too, Lauren. You were both… really fantastic.”

Lauren stood up and gave Armie an unsure smile. She had never actually spoken to him in class, but, like many of the other students, had admired him from afar. She looked back and forth between the two boys as if trying to decipher the nature of their relationship before eventually answering, “Oh, well, thanks. Ok, see you Thursday Timmy. Bye, Armie.”

She walked slowly out of the classroom, throwing one last glance at the two of them before heading down the hallway.

“That was mean,” Timmy said, pretending to be offended, but actually incredibly flattered at the attention Armie was giving him.

“Well, I couldn’t have her moving in on my man, right? Come on, I’ll walk you out.” He took Timmy’s hand in his own as they headed towards the door. Timmy’s body warmed with the pride and excitement of having Armie staking such a public claim on him.

“See you Thursday, Gretchen!” Armie called. Gretchen looked up from the student she had been in deep conversation with, and when she saw the two boys leaving hand-in-hand, her face broke into a smile the size of the Grand Canyon.

“Bye, Armie! Bye, Timmy! See you both Thursday!”

They stepped into the hallway and Armie gave an amused snort. “Well, we just made _her_ day.”

Once outside, Timmy and Armie lingered on the sidewalk in front of the building that housed their acting class for as long as Timmy thought he could. He knew his parents expected him back by a certain time, and he didn’t want to press his luck. Eventually, he knew that he absolutely had to leave if he was going to make it back before his parents got suspicious.

“Call me tonight?” he looked up into Armie’s eyes, shielded by his sunglasses, his body heating up the way it always did when he looked directly at Armie.

Armie leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss onto Timmy’s waiting lips. “Of course. Now get home before Mama Nicole gets upset!”

*****

Timmy getting grounded was exactly the kind of thing that Armie had been considering when he had initially vowed to stay away from the beautiful high school boy. He was a grown-ass man. He didn’t need that kind of shit in his life. And now it was a reality--he was being kept from seeing his new (friend? boyfriend? what the hell were they?) by some parentally-imposed punishment. But to his shock, he wasn’t reacting the way he thought he would. He wasn’t annoyed or upset or filled with regret. His only consideration was that Timmy was okay, and that he does whatever he needs to do to get through the week and get off of punishment.

Armie realized that--most likely--this meant that he was in deep with Timmy.

Their date had been close to perfect until the very end when Timmy had to rush home. And since then, they had been talking and texting every spare moment. Armie found himself checking his phone sporadically all day, making sure he hadn’t missed a call or message.

And the way his stomach flipped when he rushed into acting class late and first laid his eyes on Timmy after three days? Yeah, he was gone.

He decided that as soon as Timmy was done with being grounded, he would take him out again and make it official. It sounded silly and old-fashioned, but he wanted Timmy to be his boyfriend. He laughed to himself and shook his head, marveling at how far his feelings had come in the span of a week.

Armie got through Tuesday night and work Wednesday, texting and sometimes calling Timmy, holding onto the prospect of seeing him in class on Thursday to get through each day’s drudgery. He woke up Thursday morning and immediately thought about he would see Timmy in 8 short hours. He didn’t have work that day, and he wondered how he would fill the time so the day didn’t last forever.

He was pouring his first cup of coffee when his phone pinged with a message.

_Timmy: I have a call-back audition this afternoon so I’m gonna miss class._

Armie’s heart fell at this news. Another message came in immediately after.

_Timmy: I really really REALLY need to see you before I go. My parents are at work all day. Will you meet me at my house before I go? 2:00?_

_Timmy: You can give me a good luck kiss XXXXX_

Armie was immediately filled with conflicting feelings. He wanted nothing more than to see Timmy, to hold him in his arms and give him a hundred kisses for good luck. But he also knew what a terrible idea that was. Timmy was two days away from being done with his punishment, and the smart thing to do was to just wait out those last two days. He regretfully sent Timmy a quick message back.

_Armie: Timmy there is nothing I want more than to see you. But you have two day left. We can wait. It sucks, but we can wait. Let’s make plans for Saturday._

_Timmy: Nooooo_

_Timmy: Armie please, just for a few minutes. You don’t even have to come up. Just meet me out front._

_Timmy: (selfie of his pleading face)_

Armie felt his resolve crumble. What was a few minutes. He would stop by before class, give Timmy the quickest of kisses, and be off. What harm was there in that?

He sent off a quick thumbs up emoji.

_Armie: FIVE MINUTES! I’ll meet you in front of your building at 2pm_

He turned off his phone, hoping that he wouldn’t come to regret this decision.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie goes to Timmy's apartment to wish him luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, happy birthday to our favorite gorgeous dad and Daddy, Armie Hammer! This smut is dedicated to you!  
> Enjoy as these boys begin to explore together.
> 
> Thank you to all my readers for your continued support of this story. In the immortal words of Liz, "It means more to me than you will ever know!" And Victoria, this chapter is 3200 words... I hope that is long enough :P
> 
> Also, this chapter made me wish there were more sexy words for "cock." Someone please invent a few? Thanks.
> 
> XOXOXO

Chapter Thirteen

Timmy had gotten the news about the callback the night before, but rather than feeling excitement, his first thought was, _Now I won’t be able to see Armie._

His agent Brian had reiterated what a big deal this part could be for him. It was the romantic lead in a Netflix movie based on some best-selling YA novel. Timmy had never heard of it, and he thought it sounded insipid when Brian first described it to him.

“This could be a huge opportunity for you, Timmy. It might break you out of guest spots on television dramas and into real films.”

Timmy wasn’t so sure, especially after reading the cliché-ridden script, but he would try his best. _As always._

He woke up the next morning, and instead of preparing himself mentally for the audition, he began to plot for a way to see Armie.

_Just for a few minutes. That’s all,_ he promised himself.

But he had already begun to imagine bringing Armie up to his empty apartment, kissing him on his childhood bed, maybe doing to Armie what Armie had done to him at Giullian’s house.

Timmy pressed his palm firmly against his thickening cock. There was no denying it: something had awoken in Timmy since Saturday night, and it was quickly becoming an obsession. That night--feeling the hard bulge of Armie pressing into his thigh; having Armie’s thick fingers wrapped around his erection; coming into Armie’s capable fist--those things were all Timmy could think of. And those thoughts had morphed into a desperate need to see Armie again, and to wrap his own hand around Armie’s undeniably huge dick. He had to see it, touch it, and perhaps even… taste it.

And this “big audition?” It was just getting in the way.

Timmy texted Armie from his first period class, telling him first the news of his audition and of having to miss acting class, and then his idea of having Armie stop by his building beforehand. As he expected, Armie attempted to be the responsible one, but Timmy didn’t let that deter him. He had already decided that he would _beg_ Armie to come if he had to. Luckily, Armie’s resolve didn’t hold for too long and he agreed to meet Timmy at his apartment, just for a few minutes.

_Just a kiss. Maybe a few kisses._

Timmy already knew he was lying to himself.

*****

Armie walked up 9th at exactly 1:50, early for his meet-up with Timmy, but he could see even from this distance that Timmy was already waiting for him under the awning. He felt his heart speed up at the sight of him, and he reminded himself to be strong. A quick kiss and then he had to beat it. He did not want to get Timmy into more trouble.

Timmy was hunched over his phone, but he sensed Armie as he approached and glanced up with a wide grin.

“Hey,” he said, shoving his phone in his back pocket.

“Hey you,” Armie responded, scanning the area to see how many people were around. The street was quiet for a Wednesday afternoon, so when he was close enough, he reached for Timmy, grasping his forearm and pulling him to his chest.

“Okay, you got me here. Now what are you going to do with me?” he asked with a mischievous glint in his eye. Timmy snaked his arms around Armie’s neck, standing up on his tiptoes.

“I’m gonna let you wish me good luck,” he mouthed into Armie’s neck.

Armie chuckled, then bent down to take Timmy’s mouth in his own. The feel of Timmy’s lips sent a bolt of electricity down his spine, and he reminded himself that he could only stay for a few more minutes. But Timmy had a different idea entirely, slipping his tongue into Armie’s warm mouth. Armie gave in for a moment, letting Timmy kiss him with an intensity that sparked the beginnings of a fire in his belly. But he pulled away after only a minute, knowing that Timmy never would.

“I better go, Timmy. You break a leg, this afternoon. You’re gonna…”

Before he had a chance to finish the sentence, Timmy had pressed him into another deep kiss, this time pushing him against the wall of his building. Armie hadn’t expected the sudden show of aggression, and let Timmy manhandle him until his back hit the bricks of the building. Timmy pushed his hands into Armie’s hair and rolled his hips. This was a side of Timmy that Armie had never seen and he liked it… a lot. But this wasn’t the time for it.

With his body flush against Armie’s, Timmy began to plead his case. “Come upstairs, just for a few minutes, Armie. My parents are at work until 5, and I have a half-hour before I have to leave for my audition. I just… I need to be alone with you.”

The want and desperation in Timmy’s voice short-circuited Armie’s normally reasonable mind. He tried to remember all the reasons why this was a bad idea—Timmy was grounded, they could get caught, he might get in more trouble—but those all paled in comparison with the reward he would get for taking the chance. The reward of being alone with a needy Timmy.

He tried one last limp effort. “It’s a bad idea, Timmy. What if… “

“No, no, it’s a really _good_ idea. Please, Armie.” Timmy slipped a bold hand down the front of Armie’s sweatpants and palmed his half-hard cock. Armie glanced around frantically, but thankfully there was no one close enough to the front of the building to see what they are doing.

“Fine, let’s go before we make a spectacle of ourselves in the front of your building.”

Timmy whispered a triumphant, “Yes!” and pulled Armie by the hand into his building. Time was of the essence.

*****

Timmy was keenly aware that they were short on time, but he also knew that what he wanted really wouldn’t take very long. He wanted to put his mouth on Armie; he wanted to cover Armie’s body with his own on his bed and, most of all, he wanted to see _that part_ of Armie and get it off any way Armie would let him.

He was so ready.

Once they were in the building, they kept their hands to themselves while the waited for the elevator. Timmy never knew when he might run into a neighbor. As soon as they were inside, Timmy glided over to Armie’s side of the lift, crowding against him.

Armie tried to laugh off the boy’s eagerness, but he was already feeling like the situation was slipping out of his control.

“Five minutes,” he reminded Timmy, grazing a kiss onto the back of Timmy’s head. Timmy murmured, “Mmm-hmm,” somewhat unconvincingly. The elevator door slid open at his floor, and Timmy fumbled for his keys with one hand, while dragging Armie to his apartment with the other.

Timmy hastily unlocked the door and pushed it open a crack.

“Hello?” he called before he stepped inside.

“I thought you said your parents are at work?” Armie could feel that sense of foreboding returning.

“They are! But... I just wanted to make sure.” Armie followed Timmy into the empty apartment. “See? There's no one here.”

Timmy kicked the door shut with his foot, the grabbed Armie by the hand. “Thank you for meeting me, Armie. I know it’s dumb. I just wanted to see you.”

Armie looked down into Timmy’s earnest green eyes, and all his reservations vanished. If Timmy needed him for five minutes, he’d give him five minutes. If he needed him for an hour, he’d probably give him that. He was finding that he couldn’t say no to this beautiful boy, which was a bit troubling.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be, Timmy.” He leaned down, eager to taste Timmy, to have his plush lips against his own. Timmy other ideas, however, and shook his head, pulling Armie down the hall.

“We don’t have a lot of time. I want to be horizontal.”

Armie laughed, knowing that he should protest, but immediately put that thought away. He decided that it was actually an excellent plan. His cock especially, which had been growing heavier since the moment he had seen Timmy under the awning, jumped in response to the idea.

Timmy pulled Armie into what was obviously Timmy’s bedroom. Armie had time for a quick glance around the small messy room, catching glimpses of Playbills and Kid Cudi posters on the wall and dirty laundry on the floor, before being pulled down onto Timmy’s twin bed.

“Sorry my room is such a pigsty,” Timmy mumbled into Armie’s chest, his legs wrapping around Armie’s waist as if he would even want to escape. Armie gasped at their sudden closeness, at the feel of Timmy tugging him in with his thighs. He rolled his hips into Timmy, and their erections dragged together so deliciously that Armie had to hold his breath for a moment. Timmy whimpered at the friction, a puff of air so soft and needy, Armie couldn’t stop himself from breathing his name: “ _Fuck_ , Timmy…”

Armie leaned down to suck on Timmy’s throat, but Timmy immediately pulled back. Armie flushed at his mistake. “I’m sorry. Your neck just looks so…”

Timmy grinned, wishing that he could just let Armie do what he wanted. Lick him, bite him, mark his entire body. But the redness from the other night was finally faded, and he couldn’t take a chance. “It’s ok. Just kiss me.”

Armie nodded quickly, then captured Timmy’s mouth in his own. They crashed together in a flurry of spit and want and groans and grinding. Armie assumed that this is all they will do, and he loved it--having Timmy’s long hard body thrusting up against his own until they both found release. But then Timmy pulled away from Armie, out of breath, his eyes dark.

“What’s wrong?” Armie immediately wondered what he had done to upset Timmy.

Timmy shook his head, blinking a few times as if he were trying to refocus. “Nothing. I… there is something I want to do.”

Armie waited, very interested to hear what it was that Timmy wanted to try. Timmy wiggled out from under Armie; when Armie realized what he was doing, he rolled to the side, freeing Timmy from his girth. He watched with intense interest as Timmy scooted down his bed, then crawled between his legs, his heart speeding up as he got an inkling of what Timmy had in mind.

“Timmy, you don’t have to…” He would never, ever want Timmy to feel an obligation to do something new with Armie for the first time.

Timmy smoothed his hands up Armie’s chest, his eyes wide and trusting. “I want to.”

Neither man said another word. Armie laid his head back on one of Timmy’s pillows, letting his eyes fall shut as he felt Timmy grip the elastic of his sweat pants and slowly tug them down. He lifted his ass so Timmy could pull them all the way off, leaving Armie in only his boxers. He glanced down to see what was happening. Timmy had returned to his spot between Armie’s legs and was eying the large bulge hidden under the cotton of his underwear with an expression that lived somewhere between lust and intimidation.

“Timmy, it’s ok if…”

“Stop. I’m sure, Armie.” Timmy settled his palm on Armie’s cock and slowly closed his fist around the throbbing swell. Armie gave a sharp intake of breath at the pressure. It felt so good, and he was aching for more--so much more--but he didn’t want to rush Timmy. Timmy began to stroke his hand up and down the shaft.

He gave a small giggle. “Your boxers are wet.”

Armie moaned. “I know, Timmy. Believe me… I know.”

Timmy’s response was barely a whisper. “I like that I did that to you.”

That realization seemed to make Timmy brave. He leaned down, and in one quick movement, covered Armie’s still-clothed erection with his mouth. Armie gasped at the sudden heat, and his cock gave a powerful twitch.

“Fuck, Timmy. Keep doing that.”

Timmy slipped his hands into Armie’s boxers and pushing them down to his hips, just enough for his cock to spring free. Timmy paused to take a look at the impressive rod of red, veiny flesh. Armie’s cock was about the same length as Timmy’s but thicker, and he had more hair around the base. It was truly the penis of a grown man. Timmy swallowed at the sight it, gathering his courage for what he wanted to do.

Armie was watching him closely and sensed his hesitation. Just as he opened his mouth to tell Timmy yet again that it was okay, he didn’t have to, Timmy pressed his lips against the velvety skin at the tip of Armie’s cock, and let his tongue gently lap the cum that was beaded there. Armie quickly clamped his mouth shut, not wanting to discourage Timmy in any way. He hummed in approval, and gently smoothed his hand over Timmy’s curls.

Timmy ventured a few more tentative licks, then closed his mouth over the entire tip, enveloping Armie’s head in the most welcoming warmth he could ever imagine. “Jesus Christ, Timmy. That feels so good,” he gasped.

Timmy inhaled a huge breath of air into his nose, as if he were worried that he wouldn’t be able to breath with Armie’s cock in his mouth. He sunk down onto Armie’s erection, slowly taking more and more of it down his throat. He hadn’t gotten far before he let out a gagging cough, and he pulled off to cough again. His face was flush with embarrassment.

“It’s alright, Timmy. Don’t feel like you have to take it all at once. Just your mouth on the head feels so fucking good. Use your hands, too. Also... we can stop. If you want?”

Timmy quickly shook his head. There was no way he was stopping now. He wrapped his fingers around Armie’s cock and began to stroke it— _that_ he could do. He leaned down again, licking all around the head and then down the shaft. Armie moaned encouragement at everything he tried.

Timmy took the tip into his mouth again, and this time, focused on just the head. He wrapped his lips tight around the skin there, and let his tongue dance over the slit, then under the rim. All the while, his hand rhythmically pumped the base of Armie’s shaft, gaining speed as Timmy’s confidence grew.

All the attention from Timmy’s mouth and tongue sent incredible shock waves from Armie’s groin out to every nerve ending in his body. He glanced down at the top of Timmy’s head bobbing on his dick, and his balls immediately tightened.

“Timmy, I’m so close…. if you want….”

Timmy shook his head, keeping his mouth on Armie. A bolt of pleasure ripped through him, and his hips thrust up, pushing his cock deeper into Timmy’s mouth as the first wave of come shot out of him. The movement took Timmy by surprise, but he held on, keeping his lips firmly fastened to Armie’s flesh. His mouth was soon full on the hot liquid, and Timmy stilled on Armie’s dick, as if deciding what to do about the situation.

With sudden resolve, Timmy let the slippery substance slide down his throat, swallowing it all in one large gulp. He pulled off Armie’s dick with a small cough, wiping his mouth of spit and semen with the back of his hand.

“How was that?” He looked up at Armie, who was still recovering, his face sweaty and flush. Timmy grinned at the sight of him—he knew he had done well.

Armie glanced down with a small smirk, still out of breath. “You sure you haven’t done that before? Because that was amazing.”

Timmy crawled up to lay next to Armie as he tucked himself back into his sweatpants. “Yeah? My mouth is amazing?” he teased.

Armie wrapped his arms around Timmy and pulled him close. He felt so perfectly satiated in that moment. His cock, his heart, his mind. Who knew that the secret to all these things would come in this skinny 18-year old package?

“Yes, but maybe it’s because it’s attached to such an amazing human.” He pressed his lips to Timmy’s curls.

Timmy let himself enjoy this moment, the strength of Armie’s arms wrapped around him, their breathing in sync. But he knew that it was almost time to leave. Armie had to get to class, and he needed to change for his audition.

“I gotta go soon,” he said with a sigh.

“I know. Me, too. Tell me quick about this audition?”

“I don’t even care about it, but Brian said it’s a big deal. Some movie for Netflix. Really over-the-top romantic shit. I would play the lead guy.”

Armie sat up to look Timmy in the eye. “Yeah? That’s kind of hot, actually. My boyfriend, the romantic lead in a movie. Wow.”

Timmy bit his lip, staring at Armie. “Your… boyfriend?”

Armie suddenly realized what he had said. He considered for a half a second taking it back, but then decided no. _Fuck it._ This is what he wanted.

“Yeah, sure. What do you think about that?”

Timmy’s face broke into a happy grin. “I think I like it. You don’t think it’s too fast?”

Armie shrugged. “Probably. But I can’t remember the last time I liked someone as much as I like you, Timmy. Plus, you give great head,” he added with a wicked smirk.

Timmy put his head back down on Armie’s chest to hide his smile. “Me, too.”

*****

The boys finally pulled themselves out of the cozy nest of Timmy’s bed. Armie used the restroom, then Timmy walked him to the elevator.

“Break a leg. And call me after, tell me how it went.”

“I will. And don’t miss me too much in class today.”

“Oh, I will. But not as much as Lauren.”

Timmy snorted as the elevator door slid open. Armie was leaning down to give Timmy a final kiss goodbye before he left when an incredulous voice came from the elevator.

“Timmy? Why are you home?”

The boys’ heads shot up and they stepped apart as Nicole stepped out of the elevator.

She shot a glare at Armie that he felt all the way to his soul. “Armie.”

Armie cast one last dismayed look at Timmy as he got on the elevator and the door closed.

Nicole turned back to Timmy, her face grim. “I came home to grab some paperwork and wish you luck on your audition. I know you have to go, so we can discuss this later. And we _will_ discuss this later.”

With that, she turned to go to their apartment, a despondent Timmy at her heels.

He had fucked up, again. He could only hope that it will have all been worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you read, please leave a comment!! Comments are like oxygen to us writers! Thank you!!!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy is offered the big part at Netflix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... first of all.... I AM SO SORRY! Please don't hate me! I've had this story plotted out for over a month and who knew the timing would be so terrible for this chapter? Once again, real life and fic intersect perhaps.
> 
> BUT... I promise a HE eventually. Please stick with it, it will be worth it!
> 
> Thank you, as always, to all my readers for your support and your eyes. xoxoxo

Chapter Fourteen

Timmy could never be certain when it came to his auditions, but he felt that this one had gone quite well. He had done one scene alone, and then another with the girl who was already cast as the love-interest of the character he was auditioning for. The director and two of the producers had been present, and they had both seemed pleased.

Timmy had no idea how many people he was up against for role but, to be honest, he also wasn’t particularly invested in getting this part. As great of an opportunity Brian kept insisting it would be, he had learned that day that it would be filming in Los Angeles starting the following month for four weeks (or more). The thought of being away from Armie so early in their relationship didn’t make him very happy.

He returned home that evening to an empty apartment. Armie had texted him while he’d been at the audition, apologizing and asking him to call as soon as he could. Timmy’s heart sank with guilt as he thought of Armie worrying about what happened with Nicole the entire time Timmy had been gone. He grabbed some chips and headed to his room to call Armie and reassure him that it would be okay. His parents would be pissed for sure, but they were reasonable people.

Armie picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, how’d it go?”

“It went well. I mean, you know how it us. You never know for sure.”

“True. But what does your gut say?” Armie knew from experience how a strong audition felt.

Timmy laughed. “My gut right now is telling me that it’s starving. I haven’t eaten in hours.”

Armie chuckled. “Okay, okay. So, more importantly, what did Mama Nicole say after I left?”

“Not much. I am sure we’ll have a Big Talk later. They weren’t here when I got home from the audition.”

Armie heaved a huge sigh. “Timmy, I am so sorry. I knew it was a bad idea to go up to your apartment, and I did it anyway, and…”

“Stop--please Armie? I don’t regret it. Any of it.”

There was a beat of silence. Then, “Good. I mean, I don’t either, but I got the best end of the deal.”

Timmy snickered. “I don’t know… I enjoyed my part. A lot.”

Armie was quiet, but Timmy knew he was smiling. Suddenly, he heard his front door open and the voices of his parents coming in the house. “I gotta go. My parents are home. Ugh! Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, and call me tomorrow.”

Timmy hung up and laid his head back on his pillow. He wasn’t used to being in trouble with his parents, and he was not enjoying it at all. Just as he was about to get up and face the music, his phone rang again. It was Brian, his agent.

“Hi Brian. What’s up?”

“Timmy! Hey, good news! The producers want to meet with us tomorrow afternoon to discuss the part. They didn’t say that you had it, but that is a very good sign.”

Timmy tried to garner some excitement about this information, but his mind was still on Armie. They chatted for a few minutes, then Timmy hung up to tell his parents. He hoped that this good news would distract his mom from what had happened earlier.

He walked into the kitchen to find his parents putting away groceries. “ _Il y a mon garçon_! How’d the audition go?” his father asked.

Even though Timmy wasn’t excited about the part, he was pleased to tell his parents the news. “I guess it went well. I have a meeting with Brian and the producers tomorrow afternoon to discuss the role.”

Nicole clapped her hands. “Oh, sweetie! That is great news! Congratulations.”

She walked over to give her son a huge hug. Timmy burrowed his head into his mom’s shoulders, relieved that she didn’t seem upset with him anymore. After a moment, she pulled away. “We still need to talk about this afternoon with Armie though. Actually, why don’t you go wait in the living room. We’ll be out as soon as we get this food put away.”

Timmy’s heart sank . He nodded and headed to the living room, sinking onto the sofa with dread. He was already grounded. How much worse could it get?

A few minutes later, his parents appeared, his mom sitting across from him on an armchair, his father next to him on the couch. Timmy waited silently for them to begin.

“So Tim, I think during our last conversation, we approached this issue the wrong way,” his mom began. Timmy turned to look at her, trying his best to look innocent and maybe a bit pathetic to tug at her heart strings.

“What do you mean?” he asked, not sure if this approach she was taking would work in his favor or not.

“What your mother means is, last time we mostly blamed Armie for your behavior, and that wasn’t fair,” his father continued. “You’re 18 and responsible for your own actions. But, what we have noticed is that being with Armie does seem to cloud your judgement.”

“And I understand that, baby. He is older and gorgeous, and I’m sure it’s very exciting that he is giving you attention. But it’s leading you to make poor decisions.” Nicole gave Timmy an understanding smile. She remembered how overwhelming first love could be.

Timmy opened his mouth to argue, but his mom continued. “Was it a good decision to drink too much Saturday night? And forget your curfew? And was it a good decision to flout your punishment today and meet him here? And then bring him up to the apartment, knowing we weren’t home? Well?”

Timmy shook his head despondently. His parents were right.

“No, but you can’t blame Armie for that.”

Timmy’s dad cleared his throat. “We aren’t, Timmy. We blame you. I think this shows that you are not ready to be in a relationship with a 22 year-old. Especially now, with everything you’ve got on your plate. You have to finish your senior project, get ready for AP exams, practice for the senior talent show. And now you may be filming for this movie. This just isn’t the time to be in a relationship. Slow it down, see where things are this summer. That’s all we’re saying.”

Timmy shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Of course he disagreed; the last thing he wanted to do was call off this incredible new relationship with Armie. It was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him. But he wasn’t about to tell his parents that. He nodded his head, realizing that he would have to bide his time, and figure out the next step.

“Fine, I can slow things down with him. Can I go now please?”

Nicole and Marc glanced at each other, as if they both thought that had gone a little too easy but were unsure what else to say. Nicole spoke up one last time. “If Armie cares about you, he’ll understand Timmy. He’ll be willing to wait a few months.”

Timmy rolled his eyes and stood up to leave. “Okay, I get it. Am I still grounded?”

“Through the weekend, yes.”

Timmy swore under his breath, stood up, and stalked to his room, slamming the door. What a shitty end to this day.

*****

Timmy wasn’t sure what to say to Armie, so he decided to wait and text him after his meeting with Brian and the producers the next day. Timmy met Brian at the front of the Netflix building in the Flatiron district.

“Are you nervous?”

Timmy shrugged. He actually wasn’t at all. “A little. Should I be?”

Brian was grinning confidently. “I don’t think so. They loved you. Let’s go hear what they have to say. And Timmy, I know you're not excited about this role, but it would open up so many doors for you. You have to look at the big picture.” Timmy recognized the look on Brian’s face. He already knew what the producers had to say. Timmy thought about Brian's words as they entered the building. What would it be like to be a Netflix star? Timmy's heart beat a bit faster as they got on the elevator, the ambitious side of him suddenly triggered.

They met in a fancy conference room on the 30th floor. Timmy recognized the two producers, Kate and Leon, from the audition, and there were two other people in the room as well. One of the producers introduced them as Netflix executives. Timmy’s stomach suddenly squeezed with anxiety. He had never met with studio executives after an audition before. He felt like something was up, and he didn’t like that he had no idea what it was.

Leon spoke up first. “So Timmy, first off, we just wanted to say we loved your audition. We think that you have incredible range, and the perfect look for the part of Dylan.”

Kate nodded enthusiastically. “And you played off Sara wonderfully. I think the two of you had great chemistry.”

Everyone in the room nodded and seemed pleased. But Timmy’s sense of foreboding was increasing.

Kate continued. “So at this point, you are our first choice for the part. However, we have just a few concerns with the casting decision. But the good news is, we have some ideas on how to address these concerns.”

_There_. There it was. Timmy’s heart stopped at her words. What were these concerns?

Brian sensed that Timmy was anxious about what Kate had said and turned to him. “Nothing to be worried about, Timmy. Let’s hear them out.”

That did not make Timmy feel better.

One of the executives finally spoke. “We feel that you are the best actor for the part, Tim, but you have no name or face recognition. We plan on this being one of our larger summer releases, and it will be Sara’s debut as a lead actress. But she's already known from playing the little sister in _Last Night Out._ You, on the other hand, are an unknown.”

_A nobody_ , Timmy heard in the subcontext.

The other executive took over. “So, our idea is to give you so visibility before the release. One way to do that is to attach your name to an established Netflix star. We were thinking Chloe Shepard. She is about your age and is single right now. She would increase your name recognition fairly quickly.”

Timmy shifted in his seat. He was confused. This sounded like they were saying….

Leon chimed in. “Just a few dates. A cup of coffee. Holding hands, maybe a quick kiss at an intersection. We would make sure the paps caught it. A few dates, a few weeks, and it will all be over.”

Yup. That’s what it sounded like. Timmy looked over at Brian for help. He couldn’t possibly think that this was a good idea?

Brian was smiling at him, nodding with encouragement. “It would be a good move for this project, Timmy, and to increase your recognizability in general. You honestly wouldn’t have to do much. And Chloe is a very sweet girl. I think the two of you would have fun hanging out.”

Timmy didn’t reply. He thought that it was a terrible idea, but he felt pressured and outnumbered. He wished that one of his parents were there with him.

One of the executives spoke up again. “Do you usually date girls, Timmy? Or…. boys?”

Timmy wanted the floor to open right there and swallow him whole. He just stared at the man for several seconds, then finally mumbled. “I have a boyfriend.”

The two Netflix executives glanced at each other. “Well, even better for you to consider this then.”

Timmy looked over at Brian again, really needing his support. Instead, Brian repeated, “It’s a good idea, Timmy. A _smart_ idea. Think of your future, everything this role could do for you.”

Timmy finally gave in. He felt that he had no choice. His gut told him that if he turned down what they were suggesting, he would lose this part. And even though he wasn’t that interested in this particular film, he just couldn’t turn his back on a possible career-changing job. Once his foot was in the door at Netflix, so many future roles could be available to him. This was so much bigger than just this one movie.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

He said the words, and then all he wanted to do was run home and cry.

*****

After the meeting, Brian filled him in on the details of the shoot. Netflix had a very quick turnaround for its movies. He would fly out to Los Angeles the following month for the four-to-five week shoot, and the film would be released in June. While he was there, he would see Chloe a few times—first on a coffee date, then maybe at a park, then finally for dinner. Even though Timmy had never seen any of her movies, he knew who she was. She was a rising star at Netflix, one of their teen tentpole actresses. It would definitely help his status to be seen with her.

They parted soon after, agreeing to talk again once the role had been officially offered to Timmy. Brian seemed to think that it was a done-deal, now that Timmy had agreed to the publicity stunt. He walked home slowly, thinking about what he had just agreed to.

Timmy wasn’t naïve; he knew that these things happened all the time in Hollywood. It had just never occurred to him that it would be something asked of him. He was a stage actor, a serious thespian.

_Or you were, until you agreed to do a stupid Rom-com for a streaming channel._

Timmy felt like he had sold-out. And what in the hell was he going to tell Armie? They had been boyfriends for less than 24 hours, and he had just agreed to go on fake dates with a girl he had never met.

This was a fucking nightmare.

*****

Timmy got home, still feeling very out-of-sorts. He heard his mom watching television in the living room, so he walked down the hall to tell her the news. She turned off the t.v. as soon as she heard him.

“How’d your meeting go? Oh my god, what’s wrong, baby?” Nicole could see by his expression that Timmy was upset. She stood up and went to him just as tears began to stream down his face.

“Shh, shhh. It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.” She held Timmy, stroking his hair. Timmy felt about eight-years-old, but he really needed his mom at that moment. She led him to the couch, then hugged him again.

Timmy sniffed a few more times, then took a deep breathe, calming himself down. His mom kissed the side of his head then leaned back to look at him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Timmy nodded and told her everything. She listened silently, taking his hand when his voice trembled at bit when he got to the part when they asked him if he dated boys or girls. She shook her head in anger.

“That is none of their damn business. It isn’t 1955 anymore.” She pursed her lips in frustration, feeling helpless to protect her son against a biased system. “So, what are you going to do? You know your father and I will support you, no matter what. But please don’t do anything that you feel uncomfortable with, Timmy.”

Timmy shrugged. Of course he felt uncomfortable with going along with this charade, but in the big picture, it was a few hours of his life, and it could change everything for him.

“I’m gonna do it, I think.”

Nicole gave him one last hug. “We'll support you, no matter what, sweetie. You’ve had a rough week. Let’s order some pizza for dinner.”

Timmy hugged back, grateful to have such Nicole as his mother.

*****

Armie chastised himself for yet another lapse in judgement the entire walk to acting class the previous day. He was grateful to have the class to distract him from his thoughts and worries about Timmy, but he spent the afternoon mostly in a fog.

He felt marginally better after speaking with Timmy later that day, but he couldn’t wait until he could actual see him again, to look into his eyes and know that everything was alright with him. Timmy had three more days left on his punishment, so Armie hoped that they would be able to see each other on Monday.

The days dragged by without the prospect of seeing his new boyfriend. Nick repeatedly asked him, “You alright, dude? You seem down,” but Armie didn’t want to get into the details of what had happened. Telling your best friend that your boyfriend was grounded was embarrassing, to say the least. So he slugged away at work on Saturday morning, played Nick’s wingman Saturday night, dragged his clothes to the laundromat Sunday afternoon, and then finally got up early Monday morning for another shift at the coffee shop. He and Timmy had texted on and off all weekend, but nothing of substance was said. It seemed that they both wanted to wait until they were in person to really talk.

They planned for Timmy to come by the coffee shop when Armie finished work on Monday. Armie figured they could grab a latte and catch up in the back. But when Timmy arrived, his face was grim and he asked if they could go for a walk instead. Armie felt a chill crawl up his back, but he had no idea why. He leaned down to kiss his boyfriend and said, “Of course.”

Armie made their drinks and they headed out. They walked in silence, Armie waiting to see what Timmy had to say. When he took a sip of his coffee and stayed silent, Armie realized that he would have to start the conversation. Whatever was going on with Timmy had left him upset and mute.

“So, did you find out about the Netflix movie?”

Timmy shrugged, as if the subject didn’t matter to him at all. “Yeah. Brian called this morning to tell me I got the part.”

Armie stopped and pulled Timmy into a quick hug. “You did? That’s great news! So… why do you look so unhappy about it?”

Timmy glanced up at him, his face painted with misery. “Let’s go to the park to talk.”

The spark of dread that had lit in Armie at the coffee shop grew into a small fire. “Okay,” he answered uneasily.

They walked to Bryant Park and found a bench to sit on. Armie turned to Timmy, concern evident in his eyes.

“Spill it, Timmy. What the fuck is going on?”

“So, I leave next month to shoot the movie. I’ll be in LA for at least four weeks.”

Armie sighed with relief. Timmy was worried about being apart. _That_ he could deal with. “I know it seems like a long time, but we’ll be alright, babe. We can Facetime every night. It will go by fast.”

Timmy kept his eyes on the ground and shook his head. He seemed to have gone mute again. Armie put his hand on Timmy’s thigh, trying to be patient but he was starting to feel like he might holler if Timmy didn’t tell him what was going on.

“Then _what_ , Timmy? Tell me.”

Timmy took a deep breath, preparing himself. “While I’m in LA, I have to be seen with a girl.”

Armie leaned back on the bench, confused. “ _What_? I don’t understand, Timmy.”

Timmy finally looked Armie in the face. “The studio want to increase my, I don’t know, profile or something. So I have to go on some fake dates with one of their actresses. Chloe something. We have to get coffee then go to dinner. Then… kiss. The paps will take pics and I’ll be in the tabloids linked to her. So then, when the movie comes out, people will know who I am. They’ll recognize my name and face and think I’m… you know… straight.”

Armie stared at Timmy, flabbergasted. “And you agreed to this?”

Timmy bristled. “Well, yeah! If I get my foot in the door at Netflix, and this movie does well, this could be huge for me, Armie.”

“Yes, but at what price, Timmy?”

Timmy bit his lip, suddenly on the verge of tears. “It’s not a big deal, Armie. It’s just a few dates!”

Armie had a pit the size of a watermelon in his stomach. He couldn’t believe everything he was hearing. “And what about us, Timmy?”

Timmy looked away from Armie again. Armie knew then that it was not good news.

“Brian said we can still date, but we need to keep it quieter. At least until after the movie is released in June. My parents have been pressuring me to slow down things with you, anyway. So, maybe we should… I don’t know… take a break until then?”

“A break.” Armie shook his head. “A fucking break. We just started dating, Timmy!”

Finally Timmy couldn’t stand it anymore. Tears began to stream down his face. “I know. I’m sorry, Armie. I hate it so much.”

Armie stood up from the bench. He longed to take Timmy in his arms, but he needed time to think.

“No one is making you do any of this, Timmy. I…. I need to go and think about all of this. I’ll call you in a few days.”

He turned and left, leaving Timmy with his head in his hands, tears streaming down his face. How had things come to this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you read (or simply have thoughts about it), please leave a comment!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy goes to Los Angeles to film the Netflix movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bear to write, and it is a LOT (4000 words, Victoria!). I know some readers have been upset at the recent story developments, but I promise... it will all be okay xoxox
> 
> Thank you for your support and please keep reading!

Chapter Fifteen

Monday

_Timmy: Hey, I don’t want to bother you, but I wanted to let you know I won’t be in class on Tuesday. Or from now on, actually. Since I’m gonna miss so much school, I have a shit-ton of work to do before I leave. Just wanted you to know._

_Armie: Thanks for telling me. I would have wondered._

Wednesday

_Timmy: How was class? Did you miss me?_

_Armie: Timmy_

_Armie: What are you doing?_

_Armie: Yes I missed you in class_

_Armie: But we’re taking a break_

_Armie: Or did you already forget_

_Timmy: I know. I just miss you_

_Armie: I’m not sure what to say to that Timmy_

_Timmy: I’m sorry I’ll leave you alone_

_Armie: You don’t need to leave me alone but_

_Armie: Let’s talk next week. I need to get my head on straight, and so do you_

_Timmy: Ok. I’m flying to LA this weekend but I’ll be back Sunday night_

_Timmy: Can I text you Monday?_

_Armie: Sure_

Monday

_Timmy: Hey is this a good time_

_Armie: Aren’t you in class?_

_Timmy: I’m at nutrition. I have a few minutes._

_Armie: How was LA?_

_Timmy: Surreal. Busy. Crazy._

_Armie: Is that… good?_

_Timmy: It was just a lot. So different than the theater world. But everyone was nice, I guess. Or at least nice to me._

_Timmy: I leave next week. I want to see you before I go. We said we were gonna talk and we never did_

_Armie: I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Timmy_

_Timmy: Armie please. I can’t go to LA leaving things the way we did._

_-_

_-_

_-_

_Armie: Yeah, you’re right. We should talk. Do you want to come over Friday night? Or we could meet somewhere for dinner?_

_Timmy: I’ll go to your place. 7?_

_Armie: Ok. See you then_

_Timmy: Ok_

_Timmy: I really miss you Armie_

_-_

Armie stared at the words on his phone, unsure how he should reply. Wondering if he even _should_ reply, or just leave Timmy hanging. He missed Timmy, too. Of course he did. But this time apart was Timmy’s idea, and honestly, was probably a smart move. The entire relationship was not what Armie had signed up for, and he knew in his bones that the right thing to do would be to walk away. When he had left Timmy the week before, he had decided that the relationship wasn’t worth it. Timmy was too young, too immature, too indecisive. And now adding in the whole charade with Netflix? It all just left a bad taste in Armie’s mouth. So he probably needed to just cut the strings from Timmy and move on.

Except….

The truth was--he had fallen hard for Timmy. It was proving more difficult to close the door on their relationship than Armie had realized. He thought about Timmy constantly when they weren’t together. He knew that he had been happier with Timmy in the short time they had been hanging out than in any other relationship he’d ever had. Timmy made me laugh, he challenged the artist in him, and he was the sexiest thing Armie had ever laid eyes on. How was he going to let that go?

Armie typed out the words _Me, too_ then turned off his phone. He had always been honest with Timmy. He wasn’t going to stop now.

*****

  
Timmy’s three-day trip to Los Angeles had been a whirlwind of meetings, fittings, and read-throughs. He had met several of his co-stars, including the actress, Sara, who was to play his love interest. Luckily, they hit it off right away, which helped a great deal in alleviating his anxiety about the film. Brian had suggested Timmy meet with Chloe while he was there, but fortunately, it was too short of a trip to fit that in.

Thoughts of Armie always lingered at the back of his mind. Timmy replayed their fight over and over in his head, and he realized how wrong he had been. Stupid and impulsive. He would have given almost anything to go back in time and do things differently.

As silly as it sounded, he knew that he was falling in love with Armie. Sure, he was only 18 and they had only been on one official date. But he’d had feelings for Armie from basically the moment he had first laid eyes on him, and the last thing he wanted to do was take a break from their relationship. He had felt overwhelmed and overemotional, and blurted an idea that had flitted into his mind. But he had been so wrong. In reality, he wasn’t sure if he would get through the shoot without knowing he had the support of Armie as his boyfriend.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Armie agreed to meet him Friday night. That’s all he needed: one night to tell Armie how he felt, to promise that things would be better between them, that he would make everything alright. He was leaving for Los Angeles in twelve days and he wouldn’t be back for a month. This was his last chance to make things right.

*****

Armie and Timmy didn’t text much that week. They both knew that the words that needed to be said needed to be said in person. Friday night, Armie’s building’s front door buzzed at exactly 7pm. His heart jumped knowing that he would be seeing Timmy in just a few minutes. He glanced around his apartment one last time, making sure it was presentable. Nick was out with work friends for the night; he had beers chilling in the fridge and a pizza in the oven. He was as ready as he was going to be.

A few minutes later, Timmy was knocking at the door. Armie opened it after the third knock and there he was, in jeans, a striped sweater and black leather jacket, looking utterly delicious. Armie cursed his heart that raced at the sight of him.

Armie opened the door wide to let him in. Timmy hands were shoved in his pockets; he looked nervous and shy.

“Can I get you a beer?”

Timmy gave a relieved smile. “Please. Thanks.”

Armie retrieved the beers and they settled in on Armie’s couch. Armie thought about the last time Timmy had been over, the night Nick had walked in on them making out in this same spot. How far they had come since then, and not in a good way.

Armie stared at Timmy who was tracing the lip of his beer bottle with his thumb, waiting for him to speak. Armie took a sip of his own beer and decided that he would have to start, as usual.

“So, you leave next week?”

Timmy glanced up. “Yeah, Friday. And… so…um… ” He took a deep breath. “I, uh… I have something I need to say…”

Armie gave a gentle laugh. “It’s okay, Timmy. Please don’t be nervous. Just say whatever you need to say.”

Timmy nodded, looked down at his beer bottle again, then back up into Armie’s eyes. He swallowed then licked his lips.

“I… I fucked up, Armie. I never should have said I wanted to take a break. I was just, I don’t know, overwhelmed. But I don’t want to take a break. _At all._ I don’t care what my parents think. I want to be with you. Do you… still want to be with me?” he asked in a small voice.

He looked terrified waiting for Armie’s reaction. Armie took another sip of his beer to buy some time. His gut reaction was to take Timmy in his arms and kiss him. To hold him and tell him that everything would be okay. But things were so much more complicated than that. Timmy made all his decisions from his heart; Armie needed to be the one to use his brain.

“I do, Timmy. But I think you were actually right in saying that we need to slow things down. Go to your shoot, and when you get back, we’ll have dinner. Go on a few dates. I rushed us into a relationship when things were too new, and…”

Timmy grabbed Armie’s wrist. “No, I don’t think that’s true, Armie. We were both ready!”

“Well, we both _thought_ we were, but obviously it was too fast.”

Timmy slid to Armie’s side of the couch, erasing the inches that had separated them. He wrapped his arms around Armie’s neck and looked up into his eyes. Armie felt his resistance start to melt away at the warm proximity of Timmy’s body.

“Timmy….”

Before he could finish his sentence, Timmy had covered Armie’s mouth with his own, urgently pressing himself into Armie. Armie felt a terrible sense of déjà vu as he reluctantly pulled away.

“I want to, Timmy. But let’s wait. Until you get back.”

Timmy fell back onto the couch, dejected. Armie pressed a kiss to the shell of his ear, then gave it a playful lick, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Come on, let’s go get some pizza.”

*****

The rest of the night went by pleasantly and uneventfully. Timmy told Armie what he knew about his upcoming shoot, and Armie recounted a funny story from Thursday’s class. The subject of Chloe and Timmy’s Hollywood “dates” remained untouched. Timmy didn’t want to talk about it, and Armie didn’t want to know any more than he already knew. They watched a few episodes of The Office re-runs and scarfed down way too much pizza. Once they were done eating, Timmy crept closer to Armie on the couch, then slipped his hand into Armie’s. Armie didn’t pull away this time. Eventually, Armie wrapped an arm around Timmy’s shoulder and let Timmy lean on him for the rest of the night. They both wanted more, but they kept to the boundaries that Armie had set earlier in the night.

Armie had to work early in the morning, so by midnight, Timmy was packing up to leave.

“I’m not going to see you again before I go, I don’t think.” Timmy shifted on his feet, controlling the impulse growing in his belly to throw himself at Armie. He knew that wouldn’t end well, so he settled for taking Armie’s hand in his again.

“No, I don’t think you will. But you’re going to be amazing, Timmy. You always are. Call me when you can, okay?”

Timmy nodded, his eyes welling with tears. This isn’t how he wanted to leave; he had hoped that they could completely reconcile and he could fly to California as Armie’s boyfriend again. But that wasn’t meant to be. He would have to make do with knowing that they weren’t completely over and would see each other in a month.

“I will. I…I’ll miss you, Armie.”

Armie pulled Timmy into a tight hug. “I’ll miss you, too. Now, go knock ‘em dead in LA.”

*****

The boys texted sporadically throughout the week before Timmy left, and Armie kept his messages friendly but brief. He decided that he needed to protect his heart, and hold back a little until Timmy returned and they figured out a way forward. Timmy sent one last selfie from his plane seat, a sultry pout from under his hoodie, his eyes covered with his curls, the string of his sweatshirt suggestively in his mouth. Armie swallowed down the lump in his throat that the picture created, and resisted the urge to text back something indecent. Instead, he typed out _Have a good flight. Call me tomorrow xoxo_

They spoke for a few short minutes the next morning before Timmy left for the table read, Armie about to get in the shower to get ready for work. Armie was at the coffee shop when he texted again, then was sleeping by the time Timmy got home from a late dinner. Days passed, and Timmy’s schedule became increasingly busier as filming began. The three-hour difference and Armie’s job made coordinating a call even more complicated.

So, when Armie got the text less than a week after Timmy left from his friend Tyler with a link to a JustJared post, it threw him for a nasty loop.

_Isn’t this Timmy?_ was all the text said. Armie opened the link with a terrible sense of foreboding coming over him. The linked story was brief: _Netflix star Chloe Shepard was seen yesterday on Melrose, canoodling with new friend, Timothée Chalamet, a theatrical actor based in New York._ The story included three pictures of Timmy and a cute, young brunette girl. In two pictures, there were holding hands, walking along a sidewalk chatting and laughing. In the third, Timmy was leaning down, giving her a kiss on the lips. 

Armie’s stomach dropped. He knew this was happening, he had been warned, but nothing could have prepared him for actually seeing it with his own eyes. Timmy, his one-time boyfriend, the man he was falling so hard for, smiling and laughing and looking downright smitten with a girl.

Armie felt sick. Why hadn’t Timmy given him a heads-up? It suddenly occurred to him that if Tyler saw this picture, so would so many other people he knew. But that was the point, wasn’t it? Timmy was now linked to someone else. And it was just going to get worse.

Armie wasn’t sure he could do this after all.

*****

Even though Timmy wasn’t overly enthusiastic for the actual project he was working on, he ended up really liking the cast and crew, which made the experience of filming so much better. The entire process came with a steep learning curve since it was his first movie, but Timmy felt like he was picking up the lingo and expectations fairly quickly. Sure enough, at the end of the third day of filming, the director pulled Timmy aside and told him how impressed he was with his performance so far.

Timmy was so comfortable and happy with everything that he had completely forgotten about the other part of his obligation in Los Angeles until he got a call from Brian.

“Timmy! I am hearing all great things about you from John, one of the producers. How do you think things are going so far?”

“Really great, Brian. I like everyone in the cast, especially Pete, the director. So I _think_ everything is going well?”

“Netflix runs a tight ship. I’m glad you’re having a positive experience so far. The network executives are really happy with your dailies, and I’m already hearing pretty firm talk of a sequel. So, that will have to be something we sit down and discuss in the next few weeks. It would mean you would return to LA right after graduation and stay for the summer to film. Maybe longer if they have more projects for you.”

Timmy’s stomach fell at this news. He would barely be back in New York for a month with Armie and have to leave again.

Brian continued. “But anyway, that’s not why I’m calling. I’ve been in touch with Chloe Shepard’s reps, and she is free tomorrow afternoon for coffee. So, we set up a meeting at Urth Caffe on Melrose tomorrow at 4pm. There are always paps there. It should be perfect.”

Timmy’s heart stopped. “Tomorrow? So soon?”

“Of course, Timmy. You’re only in LA for a few weeks. We need to move the timeline of your relationship along. Why don’t you call her tonight to chat? Get to know each other a bit.”

Timmy couldn’t speak for a moment. He had known that this was going to happen, but it was still overwhelming now that it was all beginning. Terrifying, if he were being honest with himself.

“Yeah….. um, okay. I’ll do that.”

Timmy hung up with Brian and mentally prepared himself to call Chloe. He had no idea what to expect from the conversation; everything he knew about Chloe he had learned from her IMDB and public Instagram account, which mostly indicated that she loved hiking, coffee and dogs. Like, a lot.

He took a deep breath for courage, and then called the number Brian had given him. She answered quickly, expecting his call, and was exceedingly bubbly and friendly. Timmy sighed with relief; maybe this would be easier than he feared. After they hung up, he briefly considered calling Armie to tell him that this was going to happen. But Armie had made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about the charade—he knew it had to occur and that seemed to be all he wanted to know. Timmy put down his phone and went to get a much-needed beer from his fridge, glad that Brian had gamely bought him a six-pack when he had arrived.

After filming wrapped the next day, Timmy took an Uber to Melrose to meet Chloe. She was waiting for him at the side of the café; he recognized her immediately. She pulled him into a hug as soon as he introduced himself. He felt some his uneasiness fade away at her friendliness.

“Don’t be nervous, Timmy. I promise you this isn’t a big deal,” she reassured him as they sipped their lattes several minutes later. “I did one of these before, when I had my first movie at Netflix. They had me ‘dating’ Cameron Long for a few months.” Chloe used finger quotes for the word dating, and rolled her eyes. Timmy vaguely remembered that they had been linked together a few years ago, despite Cameron being several years older than Chloe.

“How was it? Awkward?” he asked.

“Well, Cameron was a total asshole, but we didn’t actually spend that much time together. So I survived. But I was happy when the ‘relationship’ was over. I can already tell that this will be better. You seem really sweet.”

Timmy grinned into his coffee. “Thanks. So do you.”

“I watched some of your videos on YouTube last night. From Prodigal Son and a few of your high school plays. You are _really_ good, Timmy.” She scooted her chair a few inches closer to Timmy’s. He gripped his coffee tighter, unsure what she was thinking. “And you are really gorgeous. Maybe… maybe we can actually hang out? Like for real?”

Oh.

“I... um.. . you’re beautiful, Chloe. But I…. kind of have a boyfriend.”

Chloe let out a laugh, taking Timmy aback. “Oh! I should have known. It _all_ makes more sense now. Well, that’s okay. We’ll still have fun. I promise to make this painless, maybe even fun. Now come on, let’s go put on a show. I saw at least two paps outside earlier.”

They threw out their coffee cups and Chloe confidently took Timmy’s hand. They headed down the sidewalk and, out of the corner of his eye, Timmy caught sight of a photographer across the street, snapping pictures. He realized that he didn’t mind. He felt really comfortable with Chloe, and he was suddenly awash with relief that, if he had to do this ridiculous thing, it was with someone as kind as Chloe. He impulsively leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. She responded enthusiastically, kissing Timmy back then erupting in giggles.

“Now I’m _really_ sorry that you are already taken. That was an excellent kiss.”

Timmy warmed with the compliment. Of course he would rather be spending his time with Armie, but this could end up being tolerable. And he could definitely use a friend right now.

Timmy didn’t have time to talk to Armie that night, but the next afternoon, he got a tense text from Armie.

_Please call me tonight._

Timmy’s heart began to race. Was Armie upset about something? A terrible thought popped into his head. Had the pap pictures been released already? Timmy pictured Armie looking at the photos of Timmy kissing Chloe on his phone, and his stomach began to ache has he imagined how he would feel if he saw pictures of Armie kissing a girl on the internet.

_Fuck._ This was all inevitable, but it still sucked so, so, _SO_ badly.

*****

Timmy texted Armie a few hours later: _Can you talk?_

Seconds later, his phone vibrated. Armie was calling. Timmy took a steadying breath and answered.

“Hey.”

“Hey. How was your day?”

“It was okay. But I was thinking about you all day. Your text seemed upset. Are you upset, Armie?”

There was silence on the line. Timmy licked his lips, waiting for Armie’s response.

“I saw the pictures, Timmy, and I knew they were coming, I knew it was going to happen, but fuck. It was _not fun_. I’ve had a fucking pit in my stomach ever since. And I know we’re not dating, and I know I have no right at all to be upset. But it really sucked seeing you with that girl.”

Timmy felt tears spring to his eyes. He had no idea that Armie would be this upset. God, he hated this.

“I’m sorry, Armie. I was thinking about how I would feel if it were you kissing a girl, and I had to see those picture. It would be so awful. But it really is nothing. She’s a cool girl, but that’s it.”

Timmy could hear Armie sigh on the line. “I know, Timmy. I’m an idiot for letting it upset me. But I just wanted to let you know that I saw them. Will there be a lot more? I didn’t think I wanted to know, but now I realize that I need to know what to expect.”

“A few. I think we’re meeting for dinner next week, and going hiking at Coldwater next weekend. Places where there a ton of paps.”

“And then you come home, and it’s over. Right?”

Timmy paused. Should he tell Armie that he might have to come back? From what Brian had said, it seemed like a likely scenario. He decided to be honest, as much as it hurt.

“Well, I’ll be coming home for a month or so to finish school and go to graduation. But there is a really good chance that I’ll have to come back to L.A. this summer. They’re already talking about a sequel and a few other projects.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Timmy!” Timmy had to pull his phone back from his ear, shocked at Armie’s eruption on the other line. He hadn’t anticipated that Armie would be so angry at this development.

Before Timmy could respond, Armie went on a tirade. “Fuck, Timmy. The only way I am getting through this is by telling myself that it’s just for a few weeks. And even with that, it’s been tough. You’ve put me through the fucking wringer, Timmy. And now you’re going to be fucking _leaving_ again?”

Timmy tried to interrupt Armie’s tirade. “Well, it’s not 100% sure. Brian said….”

“Fuck Brian! Fuck _all of this_ Timmy.” The line went quiet for a moment. Timmy waited with dread for Armie to continue.

“I’m sorry, Timmy. I just… I can’t do this. It’s too much. I’m sorry. I really thought that we had something, but I can’t do this. The fucking PR relationship, you being gone, not knowing what is going to happen when you get back. I know none of this is your fault, and I’m happy that things are going well for you. I really am. But I just… I can’t Timmy. For my own fucking mental health, I can’t.”

Tears began to stream down Timmy’s face. This couldn’t be happening. “What are you saying, Armie?”

Armie’s voice cracked with emotion. “What I’m saying is… is that we’re over Timmy. For real this time. You are amazing, and I can’t wait to watch your star rise. But it’s going to have to be from afar.” Armie cleared his throat, as if something was stuck in it. “I gotta go, Timmy. Good luck with the movie. Good luck with Chloe. Good luck with… everything. Good bye.”

And then the line went dead. Armie was gone. Timmy stared at his phone with blurry, tear-filled eyes, then threw it onto the bed, pulled a pillow over his face, and began to sob. He had always suspected that his relationship with Armie was too good to be true. And now he knew that he had been right all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have thoughts on this chapter, please comment!


	16. PART TWO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of our tale of Timmy and Armie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter screaming in my brain for several weeks now, so I was happy to finally get it down on my computer. I hope you all don't hate me, because I kind of love it, and I'm excited for this story to move forward.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and for your continued support!!!

PART TWO

Chapter Sixteen

Armie stepped out of the theater into the low afternoon sun, tugging his jacket tighter around his shoulders. It was brisk out, but he decided to walk the twelve blocks to his Hell's Kitchen apartment. He was tired from rehearsal and the fresh air felt good on his face after being cooped up inside in the stuffy auditorium for eight hours.

He made his way down 44th, lost in thought about what he had in his fridge, if he should stop and pick up something for dinner, if Nick was supposed to be home tonight or at meeting with the director of his play… when he suddenly was stopped short by a set of familiar green eyes.

It was a poster for Timmy’s latest movie, twelve feet tall on the side of his local Cineplex theater. Armie had almost gotten used to passing his posters in the last two years, since his first traditional film release had come out and he had become a household name, but he had not been expecting it this time. Teen heartthrob-turned-Golden Globe nominee, Timothée Chalamet.

The first time Armie had passed an advertisement with Timmy’s picture featured, his heart had stopped. He had stared at Timmy’s face--a little older and more filled out than the face Armie had known so well—for longer than he should have. Timmy had only gotten more beautiful in the year that had passed since Armie had last seen him in person. He had devoured the image with his eyes like a starving man who had happened upon a feast. Eventually, he began to feel silly and he moved on, but the visage of Timmy’s face stayed imprinted in his brain for the next week.

Since then, when Armie knew Timmy had a movie coming out, he would avoid passing by this theater, avoid seeing the face that filled him with complicated feelings of regret and tenderness. But today, he hadn’t been paying attention. To be honest, he had somehow forgotten that Timmy’s new movie—a period piece set in Victorian times—was coming out soon. Until it was too late, and suddenly there he was in front of Armie… his hair longer than in his last film, dressed like a dandy in a vest and dress coat, holding a top hat in his hands, looking serious and ready to win awards.

Armie stopped for just a moment, not being able to help himself, but was ready to walk on when a sign to the right of the poster caught his attention. There was to be a Q&A at the theater with the cast. Armie checked the date… sure enough, it was that night.

_Keep walking, Armie_ he commanded himself. _Nothing good could come of it._ But he was frozen, staring stupidly at the notice. 7pm, in this theater. Tonight. Timmy would be _here._

It was a terrible idea.

Almost as if he were having an out-of-body experience, Armie walked to the box office and stooped down to address the young girl sitting behind the Plexiglas. Her eyes widened a bit when she noticed Armie standing there.

“Can I help you?” She gave a shy smile and brushed back her bangs with her fingertips.

Armie cleared his throat. Was he really doing this?

“Yes, um… are there any tickets left for tonight’s showing of _Our Mutual Friend_? The showing with the ‘Q and A’ after?”

“Oh! I think it might be sold-out but let me take a look. Just one ticket?” The girl fluttered her eyes at Armie.

“Yes, just the one.”

The girl typed furiously on her computer then glanced up. “You’re in luck; there are two single seats left. Would you like a middle seat in row D, or an aisle seat in row T?”

Armie swallowed. Was he really doing this?

“The aisle seat. Thank you so much.”

Armie handed the girl his credit card and she stared at him for a moment, then remarked, “You look so familiar. Are you an actor?”

Armie was about to speak, when the girl gave a shriek. “Oh, I know! I saw you as Father Flynn last year, in _Doubt_! You were so wonderful!”

Armie couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t often that he was recognized, so he was always appreciative when it happened.

“Thank you so much. You are too sweet.”

The girl blushed as Armie took his ticket and turned to leave. As soon as he stepped back onto the sidewalk, an intense feeling of anxiety came over him. What had he just done?

*****

Armie walked the rest of the way home quickly, his mind on Timmy. He was most likely somewhere in the city, right at that very moment. It occurred to Armie that it was possible that he was staying at his childhood home--the apartment where Nicole and Marc still lived--which was only four blocks from Armie and Nick’s new place. Armie had often wondered if he would bump into one of them at the local bodega or Duane Reade, but he never did.

He crossed the street that led to the Chalamet’s building and squinted down the long avenue, as if he might actually see Timmy strolling up the sidewalk. He pictured 18-year-old Timmy standing out in front of his building, focused intently on his phone, and the huge smile that crossed his face when he glanced up and saw Armie walking towards him.

It was a lifetime ago.

Armie shook himself out of his daydream and decided at that moment that he wouldn’t go to tonight’s screening. There was no use in dredging up what was over, disturbing the ghost of Timmy that had haunted him for a year before Armie was finally able to lay it to rest. Nothing good could come of it; the past should stay in the past.

By then, Armie was at the building where he and Nick had moved into a two-bedroom apartment the summer before. Armie finally had privacy, his own space to bring home whoever he wanted without having to worry about Nick’s plans for the night. Ironic that he had been on so few dates since they had moved in. He sighed as he took the stairs to the third-floor apartment. Thank god for porn, or he’d have died of loneliness by now.

He turned the key in the door, Nick’s music filtering through the thin wood before it was even open.

“Turn that crap down,” he called to his roommate as he tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter.

The volume decreased and Nick appeared in the hall entryway. “Well, and a good afternoon to you, too. How was rehearsal?”

Armie shrugged, his mind still mostly on Timmy and the showing tonight. Unfortunately, Nick, as intuitive as always, immediately picked up that something was off. “What’s going on? Something go wrong at the theater today?”

Armie opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, slamming the lip against the counter to remove the cap. The action came off as more aggressive than he had meant and Nick stared at him questioningly. Armie sighed, knowing that he would have to tell Nick. There was no way he could hide something like this from him. He collapsed onto the couch and crossed his legs onto their new coffee table. Nick waited expectantly, knowing that Armie would open up when he was ready.

Armie took a long sip of his beer and started. “I bought a ticket to a screening of one of Timmy’s movies today.”

Nick mouth gaped open in surprise. Armie usually avoided Timmy’s movies at all cost. “You did? What made you decide to do that?”

“Wait, there’s more. Fuck.” He took another sip of his beer. Nick’s attention was now rapt. He knew how difficult it had been for Armie to get over Timmy after he moved to Los Angeles almost three years ago.

“There’s going to be a Q&A afterwards. Timmy will be there.”

“You’re kidding? That’s great! Maybe you can grab a beer with him or…”

“No! No, I’m not going. I was an idiot to buy the ticket. I can’t go, there is _no way_.” 

Nick stared at Armie, trying to decide the best way to approach his best friend. He knew Armie better than Armie knew himself. If Armie had bought the ticket that meant that deep down he _really_ wanted to go.

“You don’t have to talk to him, Armie. Just go and see how you feel. Make the decision once you’re there. But if you don’t go, then that shuts that door on seeing him. Definitively. Who knows when he’ll be back in New York again.”

Nick stood up to go to the bathroom. As he passed by Armie, he said, “He’s single now, you know. I just read it on some gossip site.”

Armie’s heart squeezed. He had read the same thing just yesterday.

*****

In the end, Armie couldn’t stay away. He pawed through his closet for something to wear while at the same time insisting to himself that it didn’t matter. Timmy was never going to see him anyway. He settled on a simple navy tee-shirt and brown pants that Nick once told him showed off his ass. He threw on his favorite brown leather jacket, grabbed his phone and the ticket, and walked through the living room to leave.

“Tell Timmy I say hi,” Nick called as he closed the door.

“Fuck off,” Armie mumbled to himself, but mostly to try to convince himself that he wasn’t absolutely terrified. He walked quickly and got to the nearby theater with a few minutes to spare. He took his aisle seat, far enough back so that there was no way Timmy would notice him from the stage. He would watch from the dark, drink in Timmy’s presence, then leave and try to put the memory of him behind him once again.

The wait for the film to start was starting to make Armie feel a little sick. Luckily, just as he was considering getting up and running outside and into the night, the lights went down and the Timmy’s movie began. Armie sighed and settled into his seat. There was no turning back now.

The movie was a gorgeous work of art, and Timmy had never performed, or looked, better. As the credits rolled, Armie thought that this could be the year that he got his first Oscar nomination.

_At 21. He’s fucking incredible._ Armie’s heart swelled with pride that he had known Timmy before all this; that he had recognized his talent and known that one day, he would be famous.

Armie’s heart ached as he thought again of 18-year old Timmy standing next to Gretchen in Armie’s acting class that first day, putting on a brave face in front of all the older actors. Suddenly, Armie felt like he _had_ to leave. He couldn’t see Timmy… he honestly didn’t think his heart could take it. But just as he moved to stand, the event’s moderator came on the stage to introduce the three actors that were there that night to answer questions. Armie sat back down on his seat. He was stuck.

The moderator introduced the other two actors first, leaving Timmy for last as he was the biggest star of the night. When he said Timmy’s name, Armie’s stomach dropped with anticipation. And then--there he was, striding onto the stage, a huge smile on his face. He was dressed all in black from his long sleeve black shirt to his black work boots. His hair was longer than Armie had ever seen it, framing his face in soft, luscious curls. He looked… stunningly beautiful.

Timmy took his seat on the folding chair that was waiting for him next to the moderator and gave a happy wave out to the crowd. The auditorium vibrated with applause for him. Once the audience had settled down, the moderator began the Q&A.

Armie was captivated by Timmy the entire time. He had forgotten how passionate Timmy was about acting, and he had become more eloquent with age and experience. He answered questions about character development, the future of film, the challenges of updating novels that current generations had never heard of, much less read. Timmy answered each question as if it were vitally important to him personally as an actor, his face a changing landscape of his every emotion, his hands and arms gesturing wildly to drive home every point he made. But then, glimpses of his old, goofball self would peek out, when Timmy laughed unabashedly at something his co=star said, or when he accidentally let the f-word slip out and he slapped his hand over his mouth in embarrassment. He was everything Armie remembered and more.

After about a half hour of answers, the moderator announced that he would take one more question, and a hundred hands flew into the air. The man scanned the back of the room, looking for a new face to call on, then pointed at a women on Armie’s side of the theater. The woman who sat directly in front of him stood up to ask her question. Armie slunk down in his seat, praying that he wouldn’t be seen.

The woman asked her question, something about costumes, before sitting back down to listen. Timmy began to answer the question, enthusiastic as always, but suddenly stopped speaking.

Armie looked up from where his eyes had been resting on his lap to see what happened to find Timmy staring directly at him. Their eyes met for the briefest moment and Armie felt the thrill of having those gorgeous eyes on him shoot through his entire body. Timmy took a breath, and seemed to pull himself back together. He continued on with what he had been saying as if nothing had happened. He didn’t look at Armie again.

The Q&A ended and the actors gave one last bow and wave as they exited the stage. The audience quickly filed out; it was late on a work night and people were eager to return to their homes. Armie got up to let the other in his row out, but stayed standing near the wall, staring at the chair where just a few minute earlier, Timmy had sat. Once the auditorium was empty, he grabbed his jacket from the seat and slowly turned to go. He still felt somehow connected to Timmy by being in this space, and he was reluctant for that to end. He headed for the door to the outside world, and just as he was about to leave the warmth of theater, he heard a voice calling his name from inside.

“Armie, wait! Armie!”

Armie would have known that voice on the moon. He turned to find the beautiful man attached to it walking in long loping steps up the aisle towards him, his face contorted with confusion. Armie had a sudden urge to bolt, to avoid this confrontation that he knew would dredge up long buried feelings. Emotions that had begun to emerge the moment he first saw Timmy’s poster that afternoon.

Armie turned all the way on his heels to face Timmy. He couldn’t help but smile at Timmy’s familiar stride and at the flush he had seen on his face so many times before. He smiled but he was apprehensive.

And then Timmy was standing right in front of him, close enough to touch.

“What are you doing here?”

Close enough to touch, if only he were brave enough.

Armie reached out his hand and gently caressed Timmy’s arm, for just the briefest of moments, but it was enough that he could see Timmy’s breath hitch.

“I… I came to see you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note as I see there has been some confusion (my fault!) with the timeline. This is about three years from the last chapter. I say two years at one point bc it's been two years since Timmy first made his first theatrical release and Armie saw his first movie poster outside a theater (the first year when he first moved to LA, he was just doing Netflix movies. More on Timmy in the next chapter!). Hope that clears things up! xoxo
> 
> If you like what you've read (or have any thoughts on it at all), please leave a comment!!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy's perspective of the same night, plus a little update on the last three years of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy sh*t, another chapter! I love this story and the words have come easier for me than with past fics. This chapter is a bit short but expect another chapter soon.
> 
> Thank you all for the incredible support this fic has gotten! It looks like it might surpass Parents' Night Out as my most popular fic. I am very excited!
> 
> xoxoxo

Chapter Seventeen

Timmy leaned back on a pile of pillows at the head of his childhood bed, Chloe’s face reflected back at him from his cell phone.

“So, are you missing LA yet?” she asked with a sarcastic smirk.

“Not in the slightest. It’s so good to be home. Pauline is coming over for an early dinner tonight and my mom is making my favorite pasta. I just wish I were here for more than four days.”

“Well, you’re not missing anything here. Dominick is whining about his latest boyfriend and Sara is pissed because she got passed over for some project on Hulu. Same old, same old. But I miss you. What do have going on while you’re there? Just the screening tonight?”

“I miss you, too. Yeah, the screening and Q-and-A tonight. Giullian is throwing a thing for me at his place Friday night. Will and Jake and everyone will be there. I have a few meetings tomorrow. Um… I’m not sure what else. I’ll have to ask Brian. He’s in charge.”

“But no dates, right? I mean, you just ‘broke up’ with Renee.” Timmy could see her miming an air quote with her one free hand. “That should satisfy him for a while.”

“Yeah.” Timmy was quiet for a moment. “I think I’m gonna tell him no more dates. It’s been almost three years. I’m sick of it. And I think I’ve gained enough credibility to just be fucking single for a while. I’m just… I’m tired of pretending.”

Chloe’s face softened into an understanding smile. “You should, Timmy. After I put my foot down and stopped going on PR dates, I felt so much freer. Although, if I had done that sooner, I would never have met you, and I wouldn’t have a best friend.”

Timmy grinned back. He adored Chloe and she had been there for him for his entire crazy ride from obscurity to celebrity.

“That’s true. And what would you do without me to save you from tragic wardrobe and boyfriend choices?”

Chloe stuck out her tongue, but then her face turned thoughtful. “So, I see that he’s starting a new play soon.” Chloe didn’t have to say his name for Timmy to know she was referring to Armie. “Are you going to actually go see this one? Since you chickened out of going to see him in Doubt last year?”

Timmy sighed and leaned his head back on the pillow. Even the mention of Armie sent him into a melancholic state, especially when he was in the city. So close to him, yet so far.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t think it opens for a few weeks. Maybe if I’m back in New York during its run.” He paused, thinking about how incredible—and painful—it would be to see Armie on stage but then not be able to speak to him.

“He hates me, I’m sure.”

“Timmy! It’s been three years. He does _not_ hate you! I wish you would reach out to him. Just, I don’t know, ask him to grab a fucking cup of coffee or something with you. You’ve turned him into some larger-than-life demi-god. He’s just a guy.”

“I guess…”

In his head, Timmy disagreed. Armie was more than just some ‘guy.’ He was the smart, beautiful, funny, talented man who had treated Timmy like gold, and who Timmy had thrown away. So instead of spending the last three years with him like he should have, he had buckled under the pressure from Brian and the studios, and gone from one sham relationship to the next.

Sometimes he hated himself. 

“Anyway, I better go. We’re eating ridiculously early so I can be at the theater by 7 for the screening. What should I wear?”

“Does it really matter, T? You look good in everything. Good luck tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Chloe.” Timmy hung up and turned on his side, facing the wall. Here he was, a Golden Globe nominee with almost ten-million Instagram followers, but as he lay in his childhood bed, he felt like that same 18-year old kid with a hopeless crush on the cute guy from his acting class.

Soon after Timmy moved to Los Angeles, Armie was cast in his first off-Broadway play. Timmy had read the reviews and was so proud, all he wanted to do was send a text or call Armie to congratulate him. But theirs had been a clean break-up, with no regretful phone calls or post-break-up hook-ups. They’d had no contact at all, and that seemed to be how Armie wanted it. So Timmy was respectful of his wishes and left him alone.

And then a few months after moving to Los Angeles, Timmy’s career had taken off, which left him little time to ruminate on Armie. His Netflix movie had become a huge hit, so a sequel was made, and then two more Netflix movies. The following year, he was cast in his first feature film which flung him into the adoring eyes of the world with his award-winning performance as a boy who was on the Autism Spectrum falling in love for the first time. Since then Timmy had been working non-stop, each project higher profile than the last. He had a legion of adoring fans who followed his every move on social media, directors clamoring to work with him, and an agent who was constantly terrified that it would be discovered that he was less-than-straight.

Between his career and his fake relationships, Timmy had no time—or desire--for actual boyfriends. His first year in Los Angeles, he had gone clubbing almost every weekend with his “girlfriend” Chloe and her friends, and had several unsatisfying (and very secretive) hook-ups. He had even lost his virginity to one of them--some French boy who had come over to his apartment for dinner and movies a few times. Timmy had just begun to really like the boy when he suddenly returned to Paris without notice and ghosted Timmy. Timmy was hurt, but he moved on quickly. It had never been love, after all.

After that experience, Timmy pretty much took himself off the market. He had gotten too famous for anonymous hook-ups, and Brian was far from ready for him to come out of the closet, convinced that it would ruin Timmy’s young career. So Timmy had developed a pretty serious relationship with Pornhub and his hand. For now, that was good enough.

Nicole called to him from the other room that Pauline had arrived and dinner was ready. Timmy stretched his long body out on his bed, then pulled himself up to go see his sister, a wide smile gracing his face. He never felt this happy and grounded in Los Angeles. He wished that he could just stay, but his career was on the other coast.

*****

The screening at the vast movie theater was sold-out, and Timmy peeked out from behind the curtain as people filed in. As always when he attended these events, he was overwhelmed by conflicting feeling of gratitude and unworthiness. It helped that he was in New York, though. He loved the hometown crowd, and he felt so much more comfortable and open when he was there. He closed the curtain and returned to the area where he was waiting with Brian, the other actors, the moderator, and a few people from the studio.

They snacked and chatted backstage while the screening took place. The manager of the theater brought him an iced coffee from the concession stand, which Timmy accepted with appreciation.

Before he knew it, the Q&A was starting. This was one of Timmy’s favorite parts of his job, especially when he was as proud of a movie as he was of this one. He walked on-stage to thunderous applause, his heart growing two sizes as he absorbed the adoration of the audience. This would never get old.

The Q&A flew by, and before Timmy was ready for it to end, the moderator was calling an audience member for one last question. Timmy scanned the crowd to find the person talking—she was in the back and it was a little hard to see. She asked her question then sat down to listen. Timmy began to answer her thoughtful question when, directly behind her, he caught sight of a dark blond head of hair that seemed too familiar. But no… there was _no way_ he was here.

Timmy stopped talking as he stared at the head, trying to figure out if it was actually him, when the head lifted and suddenly Timmy was looking directly into those stunning blue eyes that he had not seen in three years. He swallowed and stared in shock, before shaking himself out of the stupor he had fallen into. He had a job to do; he couldn’t mentally deal with this situation at the moment. He answered the question and the session was over.

Timmy went back stage and immediately texted Chloe.

_He is here. He is fucking here. What the fuck am I going to do??_

He waited, praying to anyone who might be listening for Chloe to answer. He needed her words and encouragement to give him the courage to face Armie.

Finally, a minute later: _He is THERE? At your SCREENING? WHAT ARE YOU WAITIING FOR???!!!! GO FIND HIM! RIGHT NOW! JFC Timmy!_

Timmy had to grin at her passion. She was right, of course. He knew all along that was what he was going to do, but he needed her to give him that push. Armie was here, at _his screening._ That could only mean one thing—that he was there for Timmy. Because he wasn’t here on a date. Right?

Timmy suddenly had an irrational and crushing fear that Armie came here on a date, unaware that Timmy was the star of the film. Was that even possible? Timmy’s likeness was front and center on every poster. Was there any way Armie could have missed that when he chose the movie?

Timmy shook off that crazy thought, and headed out to the auditorium. His stomach dropped when he saw it was empty. But then he saw him—alone, and as tall and gorgeous as ever-- walking towards the exit. Timmy _had_ to stop him….

He resisted the urge to run, instead walking as fast as his legs would take him.

“Armie, wait! Armie!”

Armie turned as Timmy bounded towards him, until he was close enough to smell his cologne, still familiar to Timmy’s nose. The scent made this all even more real, and a shiver shot through his body.

His brain seemed to freeze, and the only thing he could think to say was, “What are you doing here?”

Their eyes met and all Timmy wanted to do was crawl into his arms, to beg for Armie to take him back. His heart was pounding when Armie suddenly reached out, touching Timmy on his arm with the faintest caress, but it was enough for Timmy to lose his breath.

“I came to see you,” was his soft answer.

*****

“I… I’m sorry. I’m in shock seeing you here. Can you… do you want to get a drink or something?” Timmy stammered.

Armie’s smile broke Timmy’s heart. How long had it been since he last saw Armie’s eyes crinkle like that? His sharp canines prominent in his mouth, his piercing blue eyes boring directly into his own? He knew he missed Armie, but he had ignore those feelings for three long years, and now they were crashing down on him all at once.

“Yeah, I can do that. I have rehearsal tomorrow, but not until the afternoon.”

“I saw that you’re in a new play. Congratulations.”

Armie’s eyebrows rose. “You knew that? I didn’t realize…”

Timmy bit his lip, suddenly aware of how much he had revealed. “Well, I follow a lot of Broadway accounts on Twitter.”

Armie opened his mouth to answer when suddenly a voice boomed across the theater. “Timmy, you have a horde of fans waiting for you. You need to go make an appearance outside.”

Brian.

Brian’s eyes rested on Armie, but he didn’t acknowledge his presence. “Come on, Tim. it’s getting late.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out.” Timmy turned back to Armie, regret in his eyes. “Can you wait for me? It will only be like fifteen minutes. Twenty at the most. Then we can go get a drink somewhere.”

He paused, terrified that Armie would be annoyed and beg off. But instead, he gave a shrug and then a nod. “I’ve waited this long. I can wait a few more minutes.”

Timmy went to grab his jacket and baseball cap from backstage, the entire time wondering what Armie meant by that. Waited this long? To see Timmy? The words threatened to give Timmy hope, but he pushed it down, not wanting to make any assumptions and get hurt but this probably-meaningless encounter. But he had a few hours with Armie, and he was determined to make the most of them.

*****

Armie followed Timmy, who was himself following Brian and a body guard, outside. Brian had not been exaggerating—there were at least 100 people, mostly girls and women, waiting to see Timmy. He watched in awe as Timmy made his way down the line of fans, patiently signing books and posters, taking selfies, giving hugs. Timmy gifted each fan a special moment and he seemed to enjoy each encounter almost as much as the fans did.

Armie thought about how he had done the stage door when he was in Doubt, his first play that was high profile enough to warrant a stage door interaction after the play. Armie only did it about half the time, and when he did, he often rushed through the experience rather than enjoy it, always wanting to get it over with and go home.

He decided that with his new play, he wouldn’t take his fans for granted so much. He would try to appreciate the stage door experience a bit more, and take more time with each person who had stayed to see him. Armie suddenly realized that he had only been with Timmy for a few minutes and he was already learning from him again. He shook his head with amazement at what an incredible human he was.

Timmy finally finished going down the entire line of people. Several of the fans hovered close by, perhaps waiting for another photo, until Brian announced that Timmy was done for the night. Timmy waved to everyone, and Brian opened the door to the theater for them to go back inside. Timmy turned to Armie, who was still standing to the side, trying to keep warm, and nodded his head towards the door.

“Come on, Armie.”

Brian held the door open as Armie followed the rest of the group back into the theater, then looked expectantly at Armie.

“Oh Brian, Armie, you’ve never met! Brian, this is my friend, Armie. We, um, we were in acting class together when I lived here. Armie, this is my agent, Brian.”

The two men shook hands, eyeing each other warily. Armie had the distinct feeling that Brian knew who he was and that he had been more than a friend—and did not approve. Brian congratulated Timmy on a successful night, then Timmy ducked his head, looking away from Brian.

“Okay, well Armie and I are going to go grab a drink. Talk to you tomorrow, Brian.”

Brian pursed his lips together in disapproval but said nothing. As Timmy led the way out of the theater, Armie gave Brian a quick nod and followed him. Once they were outside the theater, Timmy was dismayed to find more than a dozen people still waiting for him. They began shouting his name when they saw him, so Armie took his hand and pulled him towards a waiting cab. Armie took a moment to enjoy the feel of Timmy’s smaller, warm hand in his own, and a moment later they were squeezed together in the backseat of the taxi.

Armie gave the driver an address and Timmy looked at him quizzically. “Is that a bar?”

Armie shook his head. He had made a snap decision the moment he saw how persistent Timmy’s fans were. “I thought it would be better to go somewhere private. Let’s just back go to my place. We can have a beer and talk. Is that okay?”

Timmy leaned his head back on the seat, looking up at Armie. The two men stared at each other for a moment, each feeling a bit of disbelief that they had found their way back to each other, each wondering what the night would hold.

“Sounds perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you have read or have any thoughts at all, please leave a comment! It means the world to me to read all of your lovely comments! XOXOX


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's here, it's here! Timmy and Armie reunite. Like, you know, REALLY reunite ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all my incredible, generous readers for all of your support. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Chapter Eighteen

The air in the cab was tense, expectant… charged. Laden with unanswered questions. Only a few inches separated Timmy and Armie, and each man was acutely aware of exactly how close they were to one another in the claustrophobic space. Armie shifted in his seat, his long legs folded awkwardly in front of him. He needed to spread out more, but he didn’t want to encroach on Timmy’s leg territory, tempting the possibility that their feet might touch. He glanced over at Timmy who was brazenly gaping at him, still recovering from the shock of Armie coming to his screening.

“What?” Armie asked with a shy smile.

Timmy returned the smile, then looked away, embarrassed that he’d been caught staring. “Nothing. It’s just so good to see you. You look… you look really great.”

“And you look different. So grown-up...”

“Is that bad?”

Armie swallowed. He couldn’t overstate his answer. “No. _Not bad_.” He chuckled. “How can you even ask? We just left a mob of crying fans in our wake.”

Timmy ran a hand through his hair and shifted in his seat, clearly not comfortable with the topic. “That never seems real to me, though. Those girls don’t know me.”

He glanced at Armie again, wishing he could will Armie to touch him again. Take his hand, stroke his thigh… anything. But Armie looked as nervous as he felt.

“I couldn’t believe when I looked up and saw you in the audience tonight,” he admitted.

Armie gave a deep, soft laugh again. Timmy wanted to capture the sound and lock it away in his memory forever. “ _I_ couldn’t believe when I bought the ticket for tonight.”

“So why did you?”

There. The question had been asked.

The cab was too warm, Armie needed some fresh air. “I was passing by and saw your picture. I stopped to look.” He felt his face flush at this admission. “And I noticed the sign for the screening, and that you’d be there. And I just…. bought a ticket.”

Armie shrugged, as if that explained everything.

Timmy continued to stare. “But… it’s been three years. I’ve been in the city so many times. Why tonight?”

Armie took a deep breath, wishing Timmy would stop asking questions that he didn’t have answers to. “Yeah, but I never knew when you were here. I… I tried not to pay too much attention.”

The cab fell silent again, just as it pulled up to a building and stopped.

“This is me,” Armie announced with relief, eager to get out the cab that had forced too much intimacy, too soon.

They climbed out of the taxi into the cold night and Timmy looked around the neighborhood, realizing this was not Armie’s old Chelsea digs. “Did you move? We’re right by my parents’ place. Like, practically around the corner.”

Armie slammed the taxi door closed and turned to Timmy. “Nick and I got a bigger place about a year ago. Come on, I need a drink.”

Timmy followed Armie’s tall form into an attractive, modern building. He couldn’t believe that for the past year, Armie had been so close to him every time he had stayed with his parents.

A doorman nodded at Armie.

“Evening, Carl,” Armie said as he passed. He called for the elevator, even though his apartment was only three floors up. He didn’t want to make Timmy climb the stairs after his long night.

“This is really nice, Armie,” Timmy commented, looking around the smartly decorated lobby, clearly impressed.

Armie gave a modest shrug as they got into the elevator. He wondered what kind of mansion Timmy had in LA. Once they were inside, they leaned against opposite walls, eying each other again. Timmy started to speak.

“Armie, I just want to apologize for…”

Armie held up a hand. “Let’s have a drink first. Then we can talk. I really need a drink first though, Timmy.”

Timmy nodded. “No, I get it. Good call.”

The elevator door slid open, and Timmy followed Armie down a short hallway.

*****

Armie unlocked and pushed open his front door. He could hear music blaring--Nick was home, lounging on their new sectional sofa, playing with his phone.

“Hey, how was the screening? Did you see…” Nick glanced from his phone, a huge smile spreading on his face when he spied Timmy standing behind Armie, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. “Timmy! Dude, good to see you!”

Nick stood up to shake Timmy’s hand and then headed towards his bedroom. “I’m actually about to go out. I’m meeting up with Andrew for a drink. It was great seeing you, Timmy. Maybe I’ll get to see you again?”

Timmy bit his bottom lip and nodded. “Yeah, maybe?”

He glanced at Armie to gage his reaction, but Armie was in the kitchen grabbing two chilled glasses from his freezer, his back to Timmy and Nick. Nick disappeared down the hallway. As soon as he was gone, Armie turned to Timmy.

“What’ll you have? I’ve got beer, wine, the fixings for just about every mixed drink you could want…”

“A beer is fine.”

“Two beers it is.” Armie cracked open the bottles, emptying their contents into the waiting glasses and carrying them out to the living room. 

“You can hang your jacket in the closet there. Then come, sit.”

Timmy did as he was told, settling onto the large couch several feet from Armie. Armie leaned over to hand him his beer, which Timmy drank gratefully. He rested the glass on his thigh and looked around Armie’s place. He recognized some of the art on the wall from his last apartment, but everything else looked new, nicer. He took a deep breath, gathering courage to speak what he had wanted to say in the elevator.

“So, Armie… I need to tell you something. I want to apologize for how things went down with us at the end. I was so overwhelmed and I…”

“Timmy,” Armie interrupted, “It’s been three years. You don’t have to apologize. You were 18 and shit was happening fast. I understand. It was the wrong time for us.”

Timmy nodded, his heart a bit lighter now that he knew that Armie wasn’t holding a grudge against him.

“Yeah, but I should have tried harder. We should have talked more. I don’t know… we should have _something_. It’s like, we were together, and it was so amazing, and then we just _weren’_ t. And I never spoke to you again.”

“I thought that’s what you wanted.”

Timmy looked at him sharply. “I thought that’s what _you_ wanted.”

Armie shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, Timmy. You were in LA, I was here. It was over, whether we talked more or not. We can’t change the past.”

Just then, Nick came out of his bedroom, interrupting their tense conversation.

“You boys play nice. Timmy, it was great to see you. And congratulations on all your success. I really loved you in _Zach’s Extraordinary Summer.”_

Timmy smiled modestly. “Thanks, Nick. And I hear your play is being staged at the Lucille Lortel theater?”

It was Nick’s turn to be modest. “Yup. My labor of love. Maybe you can come to opening night?”

“Nick, I’m sure Timmy has better things…” Armie interrupted.

“I’d love to, Nick, if my schedule is free.”

Nick grinned. “Have fun, boys!” he called as the door closed behind him.

They were alone.

*****

They each took a long sip of their beer, their sudden privacy making the silence awkward. Armie finally spoke, wanting to get past this moment. Wanting to know Timmy again.

“So, you and Rene just broke up?”

Timmy gazed at him suspiciously. “I thought you didn’t pay attention?”

Armie grinned, his face turning red at being called out. “I don’t, but I happened to see. You know, on Twitter.”

“Oh, like I happened to see that you had a new play coming out? On Twitter?”

Armie chuckled. He realized that they were putting all their cards on the table now. “Touche. Yeah, like that.”

Timmy shrugged. “She was never my girlfriend. Just like Chloe was never my girlfriend. Or Monica.”

“That’s what I thought, but I was never sure…”

“Armie, I’ve only had one real relationship in my life.” Timmy set down his beer, inching closer to Armie. “There has only been one person I have cared about.”

Armie’s heart was threatening to pound out of his chest.

“Me, too.” His voice was low and raspy. Timmy was so close, and he was looking at Armie with such vulnerability. It was a gift. _Don’t squander it_ , Armie scolded himself.

Timmy’s eyes locked onto Armie’s, his tongue flicking out of his mouth to wet his lips, as if it could sense what was about to happen. He was ready to take the step if Armie couldn’t. To be the brave one again, as he had three years ago. But then Armie gathered his courage and before he could change his mind, he slid over to Timmy, wrapped his hand around the back of Timmy’s neck, and pulled him into the kiss that he had been thinking about since that afternoon. His fingertips brushed the long, soft curls at the back of Timmy’s head, then his fingers grasped the warm skin underneath. Timmy smelled of a delicious combination of citrus and sweat. Armie wanted to devour him, but settled for just tasting him. He was everything Armie remembered but better.

Timmy gasped into Armie’s lips, the last three years rushing away as he pushed his tongue confidently into Armie’s waiting mouth. He was no longer the virginal 18-year-old who last kissed Armie. He had been dreaming of this moment for so long, had fantasized about being in Armie’s embrace, about finally being able to touch every inch of his body. He had absolutely no interest in taking it slowly.

Timmy impatiently crawled onto Armie’s lap, needing to feel more of his body against his own. He bracketed his knees on either side of Armie’s thighs, his hips heavy on Armie’s pelvis. He slipped his hands under Armie’s shirt and hummed with approval when his palms came into contact with the strong muscular form of Armie’s back. Timmy felt his cock straining against his pants. He was so hard and all he wanted to do was drag Armie into wherever his bedroom was and tear off every piece of clothing that was covering what Timmy wanted. He rolled his hips into Armie’s, feeling the length of Armie’s erection slide against his own. Both men groaned softly at how good it felt.

Armie pulled away from Timmy, perspiration dotting his forehead. “Timmy, we should talk… right?”

His words were cautious, but his eyes were dark and his heart was pounding against Timmy’s chest.

“We will, Armie. I promise, we will. But I don’t want to stop. Do you?” Timmy blinked at Armie, praying that he wouldn’t say yes. His body was on fire and it would be excruciating to have to separate from Armie now.

Armie licked his lips, then shook his head. He pulled Timmy back to his lips, his own hands traveling down Timmy’s body to his slim hips. His huge hands grasped Timmy, almost circling the circumference of his entire form. He pulled Timmy in, causing their erections to rub together more forcefully.

“Fuck, Armie...” Timmy panted. “Can we go to your room?”

Armie slid out from under Timmy, standing up and putting his hand out for him to take. He pulled Timmy down the hallway to his bedroom, being silently summoned to that place by his intense desire. To finally see all of Timmy, to feel his bare flesh against his own.

But then worry swept over him. He had to be sure this was the right thing to do. He stopped and turned to look at Timmy. But before he could say anything, Timmy blurted, “I’m not a virgin, Armie. I want to do this.”

And his eyes were so sure, so fierce, that suddenly Armie had to have him, right there. He abruptly grabbed Timmy and pressed him against the hallway wall, their bodies flush against each other. He leaned down to suck a patch of Timmy’s flesh into his mouth, only pausing when he heard a giggle from above.

“Wait, Armie. I know that mouth of yours. Don’t leave a mark. Brian would fucking kill me!”

Armie pulled off for a long enough to mutter, “Sorry, sorry,” then moved his lips to Timmy’s collarbones that were just peeking out of the top of his black tee-shirt. He mouthed each sharp bone, jutting out to enticement Armie’s lips.

“Can we just take this off?” Armie growled, his hands grasping the material of Timmy’s thin shirt.

Timmy raised his arms in reply, and Armie yanked the shirt off in one swift motion. Timmy’s chest was bare then---pale and smooth but firm with taut muscles. Armie immediately leaned down to take the nub of one hard nipple in his mouth. Timmy sighed with pleasure, his head lolling back until it hit the wall. “Fuck, don’t stop, Armie…”

Armie grinned as he pulled off of Timmy’s nipple and nibbled his way down his slim torso. He had dreamed of this for years, and he was not disappointed. Timmy was still thin, but he had filled out considerably. His abs showed signs of daily sit-ups, and Armie had to kiss each individual striated muscle that had appeared since the last time he had seen this belly.

“I got those when I trained for _The Kingdom of Lore_.”

“I like them,” Armie mumbled in reply, his mouths still fastened to Timmy’s skin.

Armie struggled with the button-fly of Timmy’s black jeans, his fingers clumsy with desire, most of his brain power pooled into one spot on his body. Timmy pushed his hand aside and quickly pulled apart all five buttons and impatiently shoved down his pants, past his hips, all the way to his thighs. Armie groaned when he Timmy’s hard cock sprang free from his pants. He had forgotten what a thing of beauty it was—long, curved, and elegant. He dropped to his knees, wrapping his lips around the head then taking it all down his throat in one go.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, Armie… it’s been awhile. I’m going to come so fast if you keep doing that,” Timmy panted.

Armie kept Timmy’s cock in his mouth for a few more seconds, relishing the taste and feel of him, heavy on his tongue. He would have been happy to just do this, to just give Timmy this pleasure and take none for himself. He pulled off to offer that up just as Timmy gasped the words that Armie thought he would never hear from his mouth: “Fuck me, Armie. I want you to fuck me.”

Armie wiped his mouth and stood up. “You’re sure?”

Timmy nodded without hesitation, toeing off his boots then kicking his pants completely off and aside. He stood naked in front of Armie, exposed and vulnerable. Armie looked at him, and he felt that his heart might explode.

“God, you are so sexy, Timmy.” Timmy wrapped his arms around his own torso, suddenly modest, and Armie became aware that he was still completely dressed still. He pulled off his shirt and pushed down his pants as Timmy watched. He didn’t want Timmy to feel alone in this for even a second.

A moment later, they were both undressed. Armie took Timmy by the hand again, leading him into his room, just a few feet away. Timmy looked around the dark room, trying to see glimpses of Armie’s life in the shadows, but it was too dim. He walked to the large bed in the middle of the room and sat down, the down comforter soft on his ass.

“I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable,” Armie said as he disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. Timmy lay back on the pile of pillows at the top of the bed, and immediately wondered how many men had been here before him. Had Armie become a player, or had he had some serious relationships? Timmy shook off the questions in his mind… this was not the time for those.

Armie returned holding a tube of lube and a condom. He stopped short at the side of the bed to admire what he could see of Timmy, who was reclining comfortably waiting for Armie’s return. He looked utterly gorgeous spread out naked on Armie’s king-sized bed. Armie bit back the question, “Are you _really_ sure?” Timmy had reassured him plenty of times already.

He set down the supplies in his hands on his nightstand and crawled next to Timmy on the bed, pressing him into a deep kiss and tangling their feet together. Timmy pulled him even close, until their cocks brushed against each other. Timmy moaned at the sensation—he needed Armie at that moment more than he had ever needed anything in his life.

“I want you so bad, Armie,” he murmured, his lips never leaving Armie’s. Armie didn’t respond, leaving his mouth attached to Timmy’s, but he groped behind him with one hand until it found the tube of lube. He pulled away long enough to untwist the cap and coat two of his fingers. His mouth returned to Timmy’s and he reached a long arm around Timmy’s body, his fingers seeking Timmy’s tight entrance.

He pushed in a single finger and Timmy gasped. Armie pulled back to check in with Timmy, but Timmy quickly reassured him. “I’m ok, it’s just been a while.”

Armie nodded quickly. “Me, too. I’ll take it slow. Maybe you should lie on your back? It might be easier.”

Timmy didn’t want to admit that he had actually only had sex three times--with Louis, his French hook-up. He didn’t want Armie to worry about his lack of experience. He laid back on the pillows and spread his legs. He trusted Armie more than anything.

Armie slipped a pillow under Timmy’s hips (“This will help, too”), and slowly worked him open, all while lavishing kisses and nibbles all over his neck, throat, and chest. He was careful not to leave any marks that could be visible when Timmy was dressed, but he sucked an impressive purple bruise under his collarbone. Timmy wriggled blissfully under Armie’s ministrations, noting with a mixture of relief and jealousy that Armie seemed to be quite skilled in this area.

Armie slipped in a second finger, hitting a sensitive spot buried deep within Timmy. He let out a yell at the unexpected pleasure; this was so much better than anything he had ever done with Louis. Armie grinned at his response, scissoring his finger until Timmy was gaping and ready. He leaned down for a quick kiss, then withdrew his fingers, leaving Timmy feeling empty, his hole pulsing with need.

“You’re ready. Turn over,” Armie commanded.

Timmy quickly flipped over, spreading his legs and lifting his hips to give Armie easy access. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. His stomach bubbled with a heady mix of nerves and excitement. Armie positioned himself over Timmy, lined his head against Timmy’s pink opening, and slowly pushed into the tight heat. Both men moaned with intense pleasure at the same time as Armie oh-so-slowly pushed into Timmy, further and further until he bottomed out, completely encased in Timmy's welcoming flesh.

They were finally one, if only for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for part 2 of this night!
> 
> If you like what you've read, or have any thoughts on the chapter, please leave a comment! xoxox


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy and Armie's night continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, only 2K words, but I thought that after the devastating news we all got last night about RBG, that we could all use something light and happy. So here it is, 2K words of light and happy <3
> 
> Hope everyone is doing okay, especially my fellow Americans who are dealing with the shit-show that is our government right now. Take care of each other xoxox

Chapter Nineteen

Armie hovered over Timmy, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other on his hip, his fingers gently pulling his ass cheek. He had taken considerable time fingering Timmy open, but he was still so tight that Armie was tempted to stop what he was doing and work on him a little more. But then Timmy moaned in pleasure underneath him, clearly happy with what was happening.

Armie thrusted in, watching as his cock slowly, slowly, slowly disappeared into Timmy. Eventually he was completely buried inside Timmy, the walls of his fleshy depths squeezing his erection. Shivers of pleasure shot down his shaft and he ached to grab Timmy’s waist and just… pound into him. But not yet. First he wanted to savor this perfect moment.

Armie felt like he was in the most vivid and incredible wet dream ever. Timmy spread out smooth and gorgeous beneath him, submitting to Armie, ready to take whatever he could give. This was something Armie had given up even hoping for and yet--here he was. He was suddenly awash with gratitude at being with Timmy again, at having this night. He bent at the waist, pressing his lips against Timmy’s long neck, slick with sweat.

Timmy keened at the soft tickle from the stubble on Armie’s face, goosebumps appearing all over his body. His hole was stretched so much it almost hurt (Louis didn’t come close to Armie’s size), but Timmy didn’t care. All that mattered was that _Armie was inside him. Armie was fucking him._ He was so full yet he wanted more. Timmy breathed Armie’s name and pushed his hips back so Armie sunk into him even deeper. The head of Armie’s cock grazed the bundle of nerves that was hidden deep inside him and Timmy gasped.

“Are you okay?” Armie asked, his voice like gravel, his lips still on Timmy’s neck.

Timmy responded by moving his hips back against Armie again, fucking himself on Armie. “I’m not gonna break, Armie. You can fuck me harder,” he murmured.

Timmy’s words went straight to Armie’s dick. He took a steadying breath, suddenly feeling dangerously close to release. He didn’t respond to Timmy, but instead sat up and took him firmly by his waist and began to snap his hips, lunging fiercely into Timmy. Timmy buried his face in the pillow, holding on to the sheets for dear life. Armie began to worry that he might be hurting him when Timmy turned his head to the side, his eyes closed and his mouth open. He grunted in pleasure, his head almost hitting the headboard with each relentless thrust of Armie’s hips.

Armie felt his orgasm building; he needed to check in with Timmy before he tipped over the edge. He scooped Timmy up with one powerful arm, holding his slim body against his chest. Timmy let his head drop back on Armie’s shoulder and Armie leaned down to take his mouth in a hard kiss. Timmy fisted his own cock then frantically started to stroke himself.

“Are you close?” Armie panted.

Timmy nodded quickly. “I…I’m…so close. Fuck Armie….”

Armie's hips became a blur of motion, pounding into Timmy at a punishing speed. He felt a well of pure ecstasy surging through his entire body, converging in his groin. He couldn’t hold back much longer, he needed a release.

“I’m coming, Timmy,” he gasped. He gave a few more powerful thrusts as his orgasm crashed over him like a tidal wave. He heard a loud expletive come from beneath him and glanced down just as a ribbon of hot come shot out of Timmy. He held Timmy tight as his climax ripped through him, setting every bone in his body on fire.

They stayed like that for just a moment, bound together by flesh and sensation. Armie’s cock began to soften, so he carefully extracted himself from Timmy, kissing his shoulder as he did so. He gingerly pulled off the condom, tying it and tossing it into a nearby trashcan. Timmy collapsed down on the bed, careful to avoid his own puddle of come, sweat-soaked and still out of breath.

“Oh, you leave me the come stain? Thanks,” Armie said with a grin.

“You can lie on top of me,” Timmy replied, pulling Armie down onto him with a giggle. Armie gladly covered Timmy’s entire body with his own, breathing Timmy’s musky scent deep into his lungs.

“That was… something,” he said, words failing him.

“Yeah. It was something alright. My ass is going to be feeling that something for days.”

Armie lifted off of Timmy, looking him in the eye. “Are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

Timmy laughed at the degree of concern on Armie’s face. “No, I wouldn’t use the word ‘hurt’ for what you did to me, Armie. It was…”

He trailed off, his stomach doing a curious flip at having Armie’s eyes on him like that. _Three years_ , he thought, _and he has only gotten hotter_. He was more rugged now, manly in the sexiest possible way.

“What? It was what, Timmy?”

Timmy shook his head. “It was really good. But I’m as sticky mess now. Is it okay if I shower or something?”

“Of course.” Armie stood up, grieving the loss of Timmy’s body against his own immediately. “Let me get you a towel.”

“I can’t believe you and Nick can afford a place with two bedroom AND two bathrooms. You must both be doing well?”

“We’re doing okay,” Armie’s voice came from his closet. “I’ve been working steadily for almost three years now. Nick just got his break this year, but it was pretty substantial.”

He appeared from the closet and threw a fluffy towel at Timmy. “His first play in New York, off-Broadway. I’m so proud of him.”

Timmy stood up and wrapped the towel around his waist. He walked over to stand in front of Armie. “I’m proud of both of you.” He gave Armie a sultry look through his eyelashes. “Join me in the shower?”

*****

Once the dam of intimacy had been broken between Armie and Timmy, they couldn’t keep their hands or lips to themselves. It was as if they were driven to make-up for three years of missed kisses and caresses in one night. Armie soaped up Timmy in the shower, running his hands up and down each limb, taking the time to kiss every body part he could reach. When he saw that Timmy was hard again, he took him in his mouth and sucked him down, bringing him to orgasm within minutes.

Timmy fell to his knees to return the favor. He glanced up at Armie, saying apologetically, “It’s been awhile; I may be out of practice,” but then licked a line from his head to his perineum and back up again, making Armie yelp with delight. Timmy grinned, his confidence restored, and he took as much of Armie into his mouth as he could.

After their shower, Armie gave Timmy a sweatshirt and some boxers to put on. He was swimming in both and Armie’s heart lurched at the sight of him in his oversized clothing. Fucking, showering together, sharing each other’s’ clothing—these were all things they had never been able to do together three years ago, when Timmy was still a teenager. But their lives were different now.

Armie felt a small seed of hope plant in his chest and start to grow. Maybe this was their time.

Armie dug out some tortilla chips and salsa from his cupboard, and the boys settled close to one another other on the couch, their thighs pressed together to devour their snack. Armie dipped a chip into the salsa bowl and fed it to Timmy.

“Spend the night?” he asked softly.

Timmy nodded quickly.” I just need to text my mom so she doesn’t worry in the morning when she wakes up and I’m not there.”

Armie laughed affectionately. “Some things never change. Do you mind me asking why you stay at your parents’ place still? You could stay anywhere, right?”

Timmy wiped a stray tomato from his lip and shrugged. “In the beginning it was to save money. But now, it just feels safer. My parents’ building has a secure garage and a doorman. No one knows when I come and go. I’m never bothered. And that has gotten to be really important to me, especially lately.”

Armie nodded, suddenly remembering—Timmy was famous. His life was completely different than Armie’s. Completely different than anyone he had ever known. Glamourous and complicated.

“Is it weird? Having fans and being recognized?”

“It was at first, but I’ve gotten used to it. I don’t mind it most of the time. And when I’m not in the mood to deal with it, I know tricks for getting past them.” He grinned up at Armie. “But I can’t tell you or else I’d have to kill you.”

Armie snorted. “I’d like to see you try. Anyway, I’ll never need them. Theater actors don’t get famous like that.”

Timmy pivoted so he was facing Armie. “Do you ever think about doing movies? I mean, you were _made_ for the big screen, Armie. With that pretty face of yours.”

Armie grinned and poked Timmy in the arm pit, making him yell. “Oh, you think I’m pretty, do you? Not handsome? Not debonair? But _pretty?”_ He emphasized each word with another poke at Timmy. Timmy laughed and tried to wriggle away.

“Like a princess,” Timmy snorted.

“That’s it,” Armie declared, setting the chips and salsa down on the table and turning towards Timmy. “You’re done, Chalamet.”

Timmy yelled and wiggled out of Armie’s grasp, running around the couch then into the kitchen. Armie stood up to chase him.

“Dumb move. You’re cornered now,” he laughed when Timmy realized that he had nowhere to go. He followed him into the kitchen then crowded Timmy against the fridge, taking his wrists and pressing them against the door above Timmy’s head.

“Maybe I wanted to get caught,” Timmy said with a smirk, rolling his hips against Armie’s.

Armie gave a soft groan, still holding onto to Timmy, but then looked him in the eye, suddenly serious. “All I want to do right now is take you back to bed, Timmy. But we need to talk. We can’t spend the entire night fooling around and not say what we both want.”

Timmy blinked once, then said plainly, “ _This_ is what I want, Armie.”

Armie took a deep breath, waiting for him to continue. He felt him heart speed up just a bit.

Timmy continued. “This is all I’ve wanted since the day I moved to LA and realized how badly I had messed up. I have spent the last three years missing you. And now that I have you again, I don’t want to let you go.”

Armie gazed into Timmy’s hopeful moss green eyes, his cards all out on the table, and he knew he felt the same. But was he brave enough to admit it? Was he ready to try again and risk getting hurt? Did he really want to attempt a relationship with someone with a fan base of millions?

He had no idea, but there was no way he could turn his back on this beautiful man again.

“Then let’s do it. Let’s… I don’t know… try? I’m willing to try if you’re willing, Timmy. Whatever that means, however that will look.”

He let down Timmy’s wrists, and wrapped his hands around his waist, pulling him even closer. He dropped the softest kiss on Timmy’s lips, then buried his face in the crook of his neck. Timmy wrapped his arms around Armie, relief coursing through his veins.

They were going to do this. Now they just had to figure out how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you've read, or have any thoughts at all, please leave a comment!


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of their night, and the day after their reunion <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all for all your wonderful support! I am happy that so many of you are enjoying this fic 
> 
> xoxox

Chapter Twenty

The boys fell asleep tangled together on Armie’s couch watching The Late Show. They were abruptly woken by the sound of the front door slamming closed, then Nick’s slurred voice proclaiming, “Holy shit, aren’t you two cozy and adorable?”

Armie stretched and sat up to look at his roommate; Timmy grunted and kept his eyes shut, snuggling closer into Armie’s side.

“Hey, how was your night with Andrew?” Armie asked with a yawn.

Nick went to the fridge to grab a beer. “Not as good as _your_ night, obviously,” he said with a teasing smirk. “Is he spending the night?’

Armie nodded, unable to hide a smile. “Yeah, I think so.”

Nick walked over to take appraisal of them on the couch. “Good. That’s great. I’m happy for you, Armie.”

Timmy opened one eye and sleepily gazed up at Nick, hovering over them. “And you, too, Timmy. I’m happy for you, too,” he added, his words slurring just a bit.

Timmy closed his eye again. “Thanks, Nick. Now, shhhh. You are too loud.”

Nick let out a loud drunken guffaw at that. “Okay! I will leave you two lovebirds alone. Maybe if you’re lucky I’ll make you waffles in the morning. Night…”

After he was gone, Armie whispered down at Timmy, “I won’t see him again until tomorrow afternoon. But maybe _I’ll_ make waffles in the morning. Or would you rather have French toast?”

Timmy made a pleased sound, his face vibrating against Armie’s chest. “Pancakes.”

For some reason, that small request warmed Armie’s heart. He couldn’t wait to wake up and make Timmy pancakes and coffee. He was doing inventory of his fridge’s contents in his brain, trying to recall if they had bacon and real maple syrup, when Timmy sat up and stretched.

“I better text my mom or I’ll forget,” he mumbled, reluctantly pushing up from his cozy place on the couch. “Oh god, where is my phone?”

Armie gave a soft snicker. “My guess would be somewhere on the floor of my hallway with the rest of your clothes?”

Timmy covered his face with a hand, shaking his head. “I think you’re right. I better go look.”

He wandered down the hall towards Armie’s room and, sure enough, there was a giant pile of clothing right in the middle of the floor. Timmy smiled and gathered them all up, taking them into Armie’s room and throwing them on the bed. He pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans; it was almost dead.

He sent a quick text to his mom: _I’m spending the night out. See you in the morning. Didn’t want you to think I’d been kidnapped by a rabid fan or something. Xoxox_

Timmy set his phone down, assuming his mother was probably in bed at this late hour. But a few seconds later, his phone dinged with a new text.

_Mama Nicole: Did you have a date after your screening?_

Timmy realized how out of character it was for him not to come home. He didn’t blame his mom for being curious.

_Timmy: So… I’m at Armie’s apartment. He came to my screening and we went to his place for a drink and to talk._

Timmy clutched his phone, suddenly nervous at how his mom would respond to this information. But he wasn’t an 18 year-old kid anymore. His mom had no reason to object to him seeing Armie.

_Mama Nicole: I always liked Armie. Tell him hello for me. See you tomorrow_

Timmy breathed a sigh of relief. His phone beeped one more time.

_Mama Nicole: I can’t wait to hear all the details._

“What are you grinning at?” Armie had appeared in the bedroom, two glasses of water in his hands.

Timmy set his phone on the nightstand. “My mom. She says hello.”

A grin spread on Armie’s face that matched Timmy’s. “Does she? Am I off her shit list? Thank god.”

“You were never on her shit list. _I_ was on her shit list. But my slate is officially wiped clean. Plus, she can’t ground me anymore, anyway.”

Armie set down the glasses then walked over and took Timmy in his arms. “Well, that is good news because I plan on keeping you out late _a lot_.”

They boys brushed their teeth and fell into Armie’s huge bed. Armie held out his arms for Timmy to crawl into and they fell silent, each of them working to process everything that had happened in the last few hours.

“How long are you here for? Can I see you again before you go back?” Armie asked, breaking their silence.

“Definitely,” Timmy answered without hesitation. “I’m here until Saturday. Tomorrow I have a meeting with Brian, but I’m free tomorrow night. And Friday night Giullian is hosting a dinner for me at his house. Oh, you should come! Will you come?”

Armie smiled at Timmy’s enthusiasm. “Maybe? But let’s plan on tomorrow night for sure.”

They pulled off their sweat shirts then snuggled deep under the covers. Armie held Timmy close to his chest, Timmy’s curls tickling his nostrils the slightest bit. They quickly fell into a deep sleep, a warm feeling of contentedness enveloping them like a soft blanket.

*****

Timmy woke before Armie the next morning, his brain at first confused by the strange huge bed that he was sprawled across. The memory of the previous night quickly appeared however, and he carefully turned his body to check that it was true. He gave a tiny sigh at the sight of a giant slumbering Armie, his broad back and shoulders bare, the cool sheet draped across his waist, hinting at what was below.

Happiness suddenly bloomed in Timmy’s chest and spread through his entire body. He was still close to a state of disbelief that last night had happened. It honestly seemed too good to be true that after all these years, this smart, gorgeous man still harbored feelings for him. Timmy had always imagined that Armie had moved on quickly, regretting the time he had wasted on some dumb teenager. That he had kept Timmy in his heart, even while Timmy moved from one sham relationship to another, gave him hope that they could make something work.

What that “something” would be was the question. Timmy had already decided that he was done with going on fake dates, having fake relationships. The fact that he had decided this right before reuniting with Armie seemed precipitous. Maybe it was finally time to be honest, publicly? Was he willing to do that and risk his career for someone who was now basically a stranger? Was Armie worth the sacrifice?

At that moment, Armie stirred, turning his body to face Timmy and, without opening his eyes, pulling Timmy to him. He hugged him close and Timmy wondered if he were still sleeping when his deep voice rumbled, “Morning.” His soft lips brushed the top of Timmy’s ear, his words vibrating against Timmy’s chest. “So… pancakes?”

Timmy pulled Armie’s arms tighter around him, reveling in the feel on their flesh gliding together. “Pancakes sound amazing,” he whispered back.

He felt the hard length of Armie’s morning wood pressing into him. Armie kissed his neck, gently thrusting.

“Before we get up, do you want to….?”

Timmy responded by pushing back against Armie’s cock, letting his own desires be clear. Armie gave a thankful moan, reaching around to slip his hand down Timmy’s boxers and palm his full erection. Timmy sighed with pleasure.

Yes, Armie was worth it.

*****

After two quick but thoroughly satisfying hand jobs, the boys cleaned up, threw on some sweats, and wandered out to the kitchen. Nick’s snores could be heard from the hallway as they crept past his room. Timmy hopped up on the kitchen counter and Armie made coffee and pulled out the ingredients for pancakes and bacon.

They chatted easily as Armie worked. Timmy loved how quickly the teasing camaraderie they had shared in their too-short time together returned. Timmy wanted to know all about Armie’s new experiences on Broadway, a bit envious of the theatrical life he was living in Manhattan. In return, Armie asked him all about his life in Los Angeles, quizzing him on how many clubs and restaurants he’d been to that Armie used to frequent.

While Armie flipped the pancakes, Timmy took a sip of his coffee then found the courage to finally ask, “So, you’ve really never watched any of my films?”

A pang of guilt hit Armie hard in his chest.

“No,” he admitted. “It was too difficult to see you. But I have been really tempted. All of your movies look amazing and have gotten incredible reviews, especially _Zach’s Extraordinary Summer._ And when you got nominated, I really thought I should watch to, you know, support you. But I just couldn’t. But maybe now I’ll do a Timmy movie marathon. That actually sounds like a really good way to spend a weekend,” he said with a grin.

Timmy returned with a shy smile, pleased that Armie seemed interested in his work. “I understand. The day I saw your picture in the Calendar section of my parents’ newspaper, it felt like my heart was being ripped out a bit. But I still cut it out and stuck in in my wallet.”

Armie paused in his pancake-flipping and turned to Timmy, his eyes wide. “You did not.”

Timmy laughed and shrugged. “I did. I can show you if I want. I never look at it because it made my stomach hurt, but I wanted it there anyway, even if I never took it out. So… I understand completely how you felt.”

Armie returned to the pancakes with a happy sigh. “I’m just happy you’re here now.”

“Me, too.”

The boys ate the breakfast Armie made, laughing and talking through the entire meal, and then Timmy had to get home to shower and get ready for his meeting with Brian that afternoon. They kissed at the front door for several minutes before Timmy pulled away reluctantly with a laugh.

“I gotta go. Are you okay with Italian tonight? I was thinking Del Posto. They have a private room in the back we could use. I can have Rachel make the reservation.”

“That sounds perfect. Who is Rachel?”

Timmy gave a small shrug, a little embarrassed. “My assistant.”

“Don’t be embarrassed, Timmy. If she can get us a last-minute reservation at Del Posto on a Thursday night, she must be good at her job.”

“Well, it also helps that she works for me,” Timmy admitted, his cheeks reddening the slightest bit.

Timmy gave Armie one last quick peck before slipping out the door, leaving Armie to contemplate his last words. Dating a celebrity was going to take some getting used to.

*****

Timmy had a car waiting for him right outside Armie’s building. He put on sunglasses and pulled up his sweatshirt hood as he stepped out of the building; luckily, the street was deserted. It was a quick drive back to his parents’ place, but Timmy didn’t want to deal with the possibility of being recognized. He loved walking the streets of New York more than almost anything, but some days it was just easier to stay out of sight.

Nicole came out of the kitchen as soon as he opened the front door to his parents’ apartment.

“So, how was your night? How is Armie?” she asked casually.

Timmy could tell she was dying to ask more but didn’t want to seem pushy. He decided to humor her and gift her with some information.

“It was actually really great, mom. Armie came to my screening, then we went back to his place to talk, and it was like no time had passed at all. If anything, we feel even more comfortable with each other now than three years ago.”

Nicole said quietly, “That’s because you’re old enough to date him now.”

“Mom! Forget it, I’m not telling you anything else.” Timmy turned to walk away, but his mom grabbed his sleeve.

“I’m sorry. Go on, sweetie; I promise I won’t interrupt.”

“There’s nothing else to tell. I mean….” He smirked despite himself, “nothing else I would tell _my mom._ We talked and laughed, and he made me pancakes this morning, and we’re having dinner tonight.”

Nicole nodded knowingly. She was actually quite happy that Timmy had reconnected with Armie. She knew that he was often lonely and Armie had always seemed like a good guy. He had just been too old for Timmy three years ago. Nicole and Marc had both kept an eye on Armie’s career, interested to see what would happen to their only son’s first boyfriend, especially knowing that Timmy’s heart had been broken by their relationship ending. They saw that he was doing well, and Nicole hadn’t heard of him being in any serious relationships since he dated Timmy. That they were reuniting now seemed like an almost perfect scenario.

She had only one concern.

“What will Brian say about this? Are you ready to face him?” Nicole tried not to judge the decisions her son had made in the matter of PR relationships, but if she were honest, she would be relieved when Timmy stopped having to be in them. She wanted her son to live an honest life. But she supported him, no matter what.

“I guess I will find out this afternoon. I am willing to keep my relationship with Armie private while we figure things out, but if this turns into something real….”

Timmy wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence. Was he ready to come out of the celluloid closet? For Armie, he just might be.

*****

Timmy and Brian met for a few hours at his Manhattan office, looking over potential scripts and proposals for projects, before Brian finally addressed the elephant in the room--Timmy leaving with Armie the previous night. Timmy knew it was inevitable; Brian was way too protective over Timmy to let it slide.

“So, who was your friend last night? Anyone I need to know about?”

Timmy sighed, leaning back in his chair. He briefly considered lying to Brian, but he would never get away with it for long. Brian knew him too well.

“We dated right before I moved to Los Angeles. We actually only broke up because of that… and Chloe.”

Brian’s eyebrows shot up. He had not expected that answer.

“So, it was a friendly drink with an ex?”

Timmy’s face contorted with annoyance. “I can’t wait for the day when these things will be none of your business, Brian.”

Brian said nothing; he just continued to look at Timmy expectantly.

“It… it was more than a drink. I’m seeing him tonight for dinner.”

Brian opened his mouth to object, but Timmy interrupted him before he had a chance. “I’m going to be careful, don’t worry! But I’m doing this, Brian. Armie is important to me.”

“How important can he be? You didn’t talk to him for three years!”

“That wasn’t my choice!” Timmy yelled back. He took a deep breath, calming himself down. It wouldn’t help his case to explode at Brian.

“Look, I don’t know what is going to happen with me and Armie, but we are going to find out. I’ve been willing to play your game until now, Brian, because I didn’t have anyone special in my life anyway. But, if things work out with Armie…”

“What? You’re going to come out, Timmy? That would be devastating to your career.”

“Would it? I don’t know, Brian. Hollywood is changing. Maybe I want to be part of that change. I’m sick of enabling an unhealthy system that discriminates against people like me. And I am sick of always living a lie.”

Brian pursed his lips, but said nothing. Timmy was 21 and Brian had little control of him anymore. If this is what he wanted to do, then Brian would support him and try to minimize the fall-out.

“Just please, Timmy. Give me a heads up before you do anything public. I need to be able to game plan.”

Timmy stood up to go. “I won’t do anything without telling you first, Brian. I promise. And who knows, maybe nothing will come of this and we’ll have dinner tonight and then not see each other for another three years? But I hope not.”

Brian stood up and shook Timmy’s hand. “You’re a good kid, Timmy. You deserve happiness. Thank you for giving me the heads-up.”

Timmy left the meeting feeling lighter and more optimistic about his future than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter or have anything at all to say, please leave a comment! They give us writers so much motivation!


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go on their date <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of this chapter is not very edited, so please forgive any errors. I heard a clamoring for some new writing, so I finished this chapter this morning and decided to post after only one quick read-through. Hopefully it's not terrible.
> 
> Thank you to my readers, as always, for your love and support of this fic! It means everything to me knowing that you are enjoying it xoxoxo

Chapter Twenty-One

Armie walked into the living room and Nick gave a low whistle.

“Look at you! Timmy isn’t going to know what hit him.”

Armie glanced down at what he had on--dark jeans, a white button-up shirt with no tie and a black blazer.

“Don’t make me feel self-conscious, Nick. I’m nervous enough as it is.”

“What? I’m not teasing. You look really good! I think Timmy will approve, that’s all I’m saying.”

Armie rolled his eyes but grinned. “I hope so. I just don’t know what to expect. It’s one thing hanging out with Timmy, watching t.v. here. But I don’t know what it’s going to be like going to dinner with Timothée Chalamet, movie star.”

“It will be the same. He’s the same person, Armie.”

Armie’s phone buzzed; he pulled it from his back pocket to check.

“He’s here. Oh fuck. Okay, wish me luck.”

“Have fun! Seriously, Arms, it’s a date. Try and have fun!”

Armie grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter and was out the door, his stomach fluttering with nerves.

*****

Timmy’s towncar, a high-end BMW sedan, wasn’t overly ostentatious, but impressive enough to raise Armie’s eyebrows when he caught sight of it. The driver opened the door for Armie as he approached; he felt a little like Cinderella going to the ball. He ducked down to get in and smiled when he saw Timmy sitting there, with an equally wide grin on his face.

“Hi,” he said, sliding close to Timmy in the back seat. “You look really good.”

_He looks like a supermodel. Fuck me._ Armie though. Timmy wore all designer clothes--a cream turtleneck sweater and multicolored pants that hugged his body. Sleek black boots adorned his feet.

Timmy skimmed a finger down the patch of Armie’s chest hair that peeked out where the first few buttons of his shirt were open. “So do you,” he murmured.

He lifted his head to kiss Armie. Sparks shot through Armie’s entire body when their lips touched, and Armie had to resist the urge to throw him down onto the back seat and ravage him.

_Get ahold of yourself. It’s only been a few hours since you last saw him,_ he chastised himself. Timmy gave a small disappointed whimper as Armie reluctantly pulled away to buckle his seatbelt. Once he was strapped in, he slipped his hand into Timmy’s and gave a squeeze.

“So… look at us, all grown up, going on real dates. Three years ago our one date was for pizza, remember?”

Timmy gave a shy grin. “Hey, I will have you know that that was, to this day, the best date I ever went on.”

“Yeah? And how many dates have you been on? _Real_ dates, not for PR.”

“Including this one?”

“Sure, including this one.”

“Two.”

Timmy gave a small shrug, suddenly looking vulnerable and a little embarrassed. Armie’s heart gave a tug at Timmy’s admission. He frowned as he thought of something.

“But, you’re not a virgin…?” He let the question hang.

Timmy’s face turned a shade of pink. “Yeah, I’m not. You don’t have to go on a date with someone to have sex with them.”

Armie pulled Timmy’s hand that he was holding to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. “Well, fuck that guy. I’m going to take you on the second best date of your life tonight and make you forget all about him.”

Timmy gave Armie a soft smile. “I already have.”

*****

The car pulled up to the back of the restaurant a few minutes later. The driver sat with the car running and Timmy didn’t make a move to leave the car.

“Are we going in?” Armie asked, confused.

“Yes, just as soon as… oh! There he is!”

Armie looked out the window and saw a rotund man in a chef’s outfit coming out the back door of the restaurant. Timmy’s driver popped out of the car and opened the door for the two men. Timmy climbed out first; the chef heaved him into a tight hug.

“Timothée! Ben tornato! Così bello rivederti!”

“Ho sognato i tuoi gnocchi dalla mia ultima visita, Andres!”

Timmy took hold of Armie’s hand and pulled him over. “Andres, this is my friend, Armie Hammer. Armie, this is Andres Battaglini, the Executive Chef here.”

Armie shook Andres’ hand. “So nice to meet you. I’m very excited for our meal tonight.”

“Well then, come, come! Your table is ready, with a nice bottle of Sangiovese and some antipasto waiting for you.”

Armie glanced at Timmy, impressed, but Timmy took what Andres had told him in stride, following the chef into the building. They walked down a short hallway, past the kitchen and restrooms, then through a closed door into a small, dark room with only three tables. Two of the tables were empty; the third was set with candles, wine, and a huge platter of cured meats, olives, various cheese, roasted peppers, and sliced bread. Soft classical music played in the background.

“This looks amazing, Andres. Grazie,” Timmy said to his friend.

“Buon Appetito,” Andres replied with a tip of his head, leaving the room.

Armie pulled out Timmy’s chair for him. “I have to admit that I am really impressed, Timmy,” he admitted as he settled into his own chair. “Do you know Andres well?”

Timmy shrugged. “This is my third time here. The other two times I came with my parents and Brian. He’s a great guy and the food here is incredible. The last time I was here he had mentioned that he had a private room I could use. I think he felt bad because my meal had been interrupted by fans a few times that night.”

Armie nodded, not sure what to say. He thought that he would be a bit jealous of Timmy’s fame, but it seemed to be a burden at times.

A waitress appeared to open wine and pour them each some water. “Chef Battaglini has prepared a special menu for you. Please let me know when you are ready for each course.”

Both men thanked her and then she was gone.

Armie turned back to Timmy, so many questions on his mind. “There are a lot of perks to being famous, but it seems like it must get tiring sometimes, always being recognized. Does it?”

Timmy shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “I can’t complain. I knew what the perils were when I became an actor. I went into this career with both eyes open. I don’t know… would you turn down the chance to do what you love for millions of people in exchange for the loss of some privacy, Armie? Everyone is different with what they’ll tolerate, I think.”

Armie chewed on the bread he had in his mouth for a few seconds, thinking about Timmy’s question. “When you put it that way, no I guess I wouldn’t. It would be worth it, knowing that so many people are enjoying my work, that it’s being appreciated. But there must still be difficult moments?”

Timmy set down his wine glass, nodding his head furiously. “Oh, for sure. That’s why I find ways like this to protect my privacy sometimes. I’ve gotten so I can choose when I want to put myself out there and when I want to stay hidden. Some days I want to see my fans and interact with them. Some days, I don’t. Is that bad?”

His eyebrows crinkled, as if he actually thought that he might be doing something wrong. It amazed Armie that Timmy still seemed to care so much what he thought of him. Armie reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Of course not, Timmy. You have to think of yourself sometimes, too. You have every right to privacy when you need it.”

Timmy gave Armie a relieved smile. They sat grinning at each other for a long moment before diving back into the antipasto. After the waitress brought the next course, Timmy changed the topic to Armie’s new play, not wanting his work and fame to dominate the night’s conversation. He lived it… he didn’t need to talk about it all evening.

Armie’s play was an ensemble piece and Armie was one of the leads. It wasn’t as large a role as he had in _Doubt_ , but it was still a meaty part. Timmy had never heard of the play and asked him a dozen questions.

“I can’t wait to see you, Armie. You always used to blow me away when we were in class together.”

Armie’s heart did a quick skip at the thought of Timmy sitting in his audience. “You don’t have to…”

“Shut up, Armie! Of course I’m going to come. I’ll come to opening night if I can! Unless… unless you don’t want me there? I don’t want to make you nervous or take anything away from….”

Armie cut him off with a laugh. “Stop! Now _you_ shut-up. Of course I want you there, Timmy”

Armie took a deep breath. “I feel like… like we’re both worried that the other doesn’t feel the same. I don’t want to rush things, Timmy, but I also don’t want you to second guess me. I’m _really_ happy that we’re seeing each other again.”

Timmy looked down at his plate of pasta. Armie saw him draw in a quick breath, then he glanced back up at Armie, his eyes shiny and grateful. “Me, too.”

They moved on to safer topics after that, finishing the wine and getting louder and more boisterous as the evening wore on. Timmy scooted his chair closer to Armie’s, and by the time dessert arrived, he was practically in Armie’s lap. They were kissing when the waitress came to clear their plates and offer coffee. When she left, Armie turned to Timmy, concerned.

“Do you worry that word will get out that we’re dating? What’s to stop the waitress from talking to Page Six or something?”

Timmy laid his head on Armie’s shoulder. He was feeling much too good to share Armie’s worry.

“No, they’re used to celebrities using this room. They are very discreet. I’ve never had an issue with wait staff at restaurants talking to tabloid rags. Of course… I’ve never gone on a date with a guy before.” He sat up and looked at Armie. “All we can do is act carefully when we go out until we decide what our next step is. But I’m not going to turn myself inside out with worry, Armie. And I don’t want you to, either.”

Armie nodded, surprised at Timmy’s cavalier attitude. “What about Giullian’s party? You don ‘t worry about getting tagged in a picture or something getting leaked?”

“Nah. Guillian already told everyone there is a social-media blackout. They’re used to it by now. Are you…. thinking of coming with me?” Timmy asked hopefully.

Armie wrapped an arm around Timmy’s shoulders and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. “Maybe…. If you don’t think an old guy like me will be too big of a bore at a party with your friends,” he replied, his lips gently vibrating on Timmy’s throat.

Timmy enjoyed the feel of Armie’s tongue skating across his skin and felt his cock begin to stir. He gave a tiny moan, reluctant to pull away, but also not wanting to have to hide a full-on erection as they left the restaurant.

“You better stop, Armie. That feels too good.”

“This was an excellent date, but I think we should go back to my place.”

“Mmm….yes. I definitely agree.”

*****

After splitting an entire bottle of wine, the decorum of the car ride to the restaurant had vanished and the boys spent the entire drive to Armie’s apartment with their tongues down each other’s throats. Once outside his building, Timmy mumbled a quick thank you to the driver, letting him know that he wouldn’t be needed for the rest of the night. They tumbled out of the car, laughing, and then hustled into Armie’s building, Armie wrapping a protective arm around Timmy. Fortunately the lobby was empty except for Carl, who nodded his head and looked away from the men who were quite obviously absorbed in their own private world.

Once in the elevator, Armie pressed Timmy against the wall as soon the door was closed. His hand drifted between Timmy’s legs as he glanced around the lift.

“Wonder if this thing has a camera?” he said as he gave Timmy a squeeze. Timmy started to protest but they had already reached Armie’s floor.

“Will Nick be home?” Timmy asked as Armie fished through his pocket for his keys.

“I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. I mean… would it bother you if Nick is here?” He turned to face Timmy, his keys at the ready.

Timmy shook his head. “No, not at all. Come on!” He nudged his hip against Armie, spurring him on.

Armie snorted, “Okay, okay!” and unlocked the door. The boys entered Armie’s dark apartment; the sound of Nick’s voice could be heard down hall, followed by a female giggle.

“Sounds like Nick has company. He’ll be too distracted to care what we’re doing.”

Armie flicked on the kitchen light and grabbed a bottle of water and two cups. “Do you want anything else? Beer, wine?”

Timmy walked over and started unbuttoning Armie’s shirt. “Just you. I’ve been wanting to do this all fucking night.”

Armie licked his lips and gazed down at his beautiful date who had already unbuttoned more than half his shirt. He watched as Timmy undid the last button and nuzzled into Armie’s chest hair. “Mmm, yes,” he sighed, happy to finally have access to Armie’s body.

Armie’s dick gave a violent twitch. He grabbed Timmy’s hand and dragged him out of the kitchen and down the hall. “Let’s go!”

*****

Armie watched with amusement as Timmy carefully folded his patchwork pants and cashmere sweater, setting them on a chair (“They’re designer… I can’t leave then in a pile on the floor like last time!”) then crawled naked onto Armie’s bed. His hair, which had been perfectly styled for most of the night, was wild and messy from him pulling his sweater over his head. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were dark, and he was already fully hard as he impatiently waited for Armie to undress.

“I already unbuttoned your shirt. What’s taking you so long?” he asked with a slight whine.

Armie threw off his shirt and quickly pushed down and off his pants in one smooth motion. “I was enjoying watching you. Now lay back.”

Timmy did as he was told, watching with curiosity as Armie crawled between his legs and pushed them up so they were spread apart and bent at the knees. Armie looked at up at him between his wide legs.

“I’ve been thinking about doing this all night. Has anyone done this for you before?”

Timmy opened his mouth to reply yes, of course he’d had a blowjob before, when Armie bent down and licked a long, wet stripe down from his perineum to his asshole. Timmy gave a gasp of surprise, which quickly turned into a moan of pleasure as Armie’s tongue burrowed into his tight hole.

Armie lifted his head away. “Is this okay…”

“Yes!” Timmy interrupted. “Please don’t stop!”

Armie chuckled. “Yes, sir.”

He tugged Timmy’s hips a little higher to give him better access. Timmy quickly lifted his hips and let his knees fall wide, wanting to do whatever would help Armie. Armie grabbed a pillow and pushed it under Timmy’s hips so he wouldn’t have to keep himself elevated.

“Better,” he observed, and returned to his task. He spread Timmy’s ass cheeks apart, lavishing a few kitten licks on his furled entrance, making Timmy squirm with pleasure. He narrowed his tongue to penetrate the tight muscle of Timmy’s hole, pushing his tongue deep inside. A whimper escaped Timmy’s throat. He had no idea how good this would feel.

Armie slid his tongue in and out of Timmy’s tight hole, plunging further in with each thrust. Timmy squeezed his eyes closed, biting his lip to stop himself from shouting out. Armie’s tongue exploring inside him was one of the most erotic things he had ever felt. The fact that Armie wanted to do this with him, and that Timmy felt comfortable enough to let him, made Timmy want him even more.

Timmy felt the familiar sparks of an orgasm begin to shoot through him. He grabbed ahold of his now-dripping shaft and began to stroke himself, first slow and deliberate, but eventually fast and unrestrained. He felt his body heat like a forest blaze as Armie's tongue licked and prodded, hitting his prostate over and over. He shouted Armie’s name as his release suddenly exploded out him, much faster than he expected. He pulled a pillow over his face as he caught his breath, mortified at his outburst.

Armie sat up and reached for some tissue to clean up Timmy’s belly, now covered in sticky come. He tenderly wiped it up, then gently pulled the pillow off of Timmy’s face.

“Hey, no need to be embarrassed. Nick is occupied and wouldn’t care anyway. I’m guessing that you liked that?” he asked with a small grin.

Timmy tried to push away his inhibitions. He wasn’t used to letting go like that with another person; he realized how inexperienced he really was. He met Armie’s eyes, which were still dark with desire for Timmy. He nodded quickly and slipped a hand down to grip Armie’s stiff erection.

Armie gratefully bucked his hips into Timmy’s hand. “Fuck, this won’t take long, Timmy. Tasting you and watching you come has got me so close….”

Armie fastened his lips onto Timmy’s, kissing him hungrily as Timmy stroked his rock-hard dick, already slick with pre-come. Timmy could taste his own musky scent on Armie’s mouth, but he found that he didn’t care. He picked up the pace when Armie’s cock seem to pulse and grow, knowing he must be close. His hand was a blur, pumping Armie's cock like an oil rig, until Armie gave a moan of pure pleasure. His body suddenly convulsed as come pulsed out of his throbbing cock, covering Timmy’s hand with slippery release.

Timmy stroked him a few more times, squeezing out every last drop of semen from Armie as he lay back on his pillow, breathing hard. Timmy watched him, sweat beading on his brow, his cheeks flushed from the exertion, and Timmy knew... he was gone for Armie. That he would do almost anything to keep this gorgeous man for as long as he could--to stay in his bed and learn every way to give him pleasure.

Timmy cleaned up his hand and crawled back into Armie’s embrace, his cheek resting on Armie’s solid, slightly hairy chest. Timmy inhaled his masculine scent, and rubbed one of his bare legs against Armie’s solid thigh. His knee grazed Armie’s still sticky cock and Timmy felt his own dick begin to stir again. He started to think about Armie fucking him the other night and suddenly wanted to do that again, more than anything. His dick grew harder; he pressed his lips against Armie’s neck and started to grind on his thigh.

Armie chuckled. “You want to go again? Give me a minute. Fuck, you are the hottest thing I have ever seen in my life, Timmy.” He sighed and rubbed his hands up the length of Timmy’s entire body.

Timmy closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Armie's huge hands caressing his body. He sighed, happy and satiated. He never knew it could be like this, and it made him want even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thank you! xoxox


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to Giullian's dinner party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was very quickly edited, so hopefully it is not rife with errors. Mostly fluff. Enjoy!
> 
> As always, thank you to my incredible, supportive readers. Sometimes writing is a struggle, and it helps to know that I have people who are enjoying it so much. It keeps me going. xoxox

Chapter Twenty-Two

The boys were up early the next morning. Armie had rehearsal and Timmy had promised his parents that he was theirs for the day before he left for dinner at Giullian’s that night. It was his last full day in New York before boarding a flight back to LA the following afternoon.

Armie made a pot of coffee and toasted some bagels for a quick breakfast, and then Timmy called his towncar.

“Can I give you a ride to the theater?” he asked, wiping a stray crumb off of Armie’s chin.

“It’s only a few blocks from here. You don’t have to…”

“I want to. It would give us a few more minutes together.”

Armie gave Timmy a soft smile. “Well, when you put it that way, I’d love that.”

As soon as they climbed into the car, Armie wrapped his arms around Timmy, nuzzling his nose into his curls.

“I can’t believe you have to leave tomorrow. Is there any way I can convince you to stay a little longer?”

Timmy sighed miserably. It was always difficult leaving New York to return to LA, but now that he was back with Armie, it was going to be almost impossible.

“I’d give anything to stay a few more days. But I have a screening in Beverly Hills Sunday afternoon, and then another in Hollywood Sunday night. There is no way Brian would let me miss those.”

Armie pressed a soft kiss to his head. “No, I totally understand. Are you planning a trip back soon?”

He didn’t want to pressure Timmy; he was just starting to get an idea of how crazy his life was. However, he also wanted to know when he was going to see him again. He needed that to hold onto while their relationship was still so new.

Timmy turned in his seat to look at Armie. “I’m not sure… when is the opening of your play?”

Armie grinned. “In three weeks.”

“Well, then I’ll be back in three weeks,” he said, returning the grin. Armie pulled him into a tight hug, gratitude washing over him.

“I can’t wait. I miss you already,” he murmured into Timmy’s ear.

The car pulled up to Armie’s theater. Armie reached down to brush a soft good-bye kiss onto Timmy’s lips.

“So what are the plans for tonight?”

“Do you mind coming over before we leave for the dinner? Around like 7? My mom is dying to see you.”

“Uh-oh. Is she going to interrogate me again?”

Timmy laughed. “No, she honestly just wants to see you. I think my parents are happy we’re dating again.”

Armie’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Okay, well then I’ll come up and schmooze Nicole and Marc, if that’s what you want. And what is the deal with the dinner at Giullian’s? What should I wear?”

“It’s casual. Jeans, collar shirt. Whatever. It should be a small group, maybe ten people at the most, and only close friends.”

“Alright, see you tonight.” He gave Timmy one last kiss then slipped out of the car. Timmy’s rolled down his window, watching him walk away and into the building. Armie turned for one last wave before disappearing into the theater, taking Timmy’s heart with him.

He missed Armie as soon as he was out of sight, and he briefly considered running after him for one last kiss before realizing how pathetic that was. He sat back in his seat, sighing deeply. How was he going to last three weeks without seeing Armie?

*****

Timmy spent the day following the whims of his mom, with his dad along for the ride. They went to Nicole’s favorite deli for lunch, took in a new exhibit at the Whitney, followed by a quick detour to Macy’s after Nicole decided that Timmy needed new underwear. He was approached over a dozen times by fans for autographs and photos, but Timmy was in such a great mood that he didn’t mind at all. By the end of their excursion, it was after 6 and Timmy had to rush home to shower.

The doorman called to announce Armie’s arrival at 7 on the dot, just as Timmy was lacing up his boots. His heart started to pound when he heard his father tell him to send Armie up.

“Timmy, Armie is on his way!” his father called down the hall. Timmy took one last glance in the mirror, attempting to convince a wayward curl to stay put, then headed to the front door. He wasn’t going to subject Armie to his parents answering his knock, knowing how nervous Armie most likely was.

Timmy opened the door and peered down the hallway, waiting for the elevator to arrive. He heard a ding and Armie stepped into the hallway, fiddling with his shirt collar. He looked up and saw Timmy waiting for him, and his face immediately relaxed into a grateful smile.

Timmy watched appreciatively as Armie strode down the long hallway to Timmy’s apartment. He looked gorgeous in dark jeans and a soft cream-colored cable-knit sweater. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and a short, rugged beard covered his face. He looked like the sexiest fisherman ever.

“Hey there,” he said, as Armie got closer. “You look _amazing_. I’m going to have to fight off the girls at Giullian’s house just like the last time we were there.”

Armie bent down to kiss his date hello. “Is this okay?” he asked, pausing while his eyes scanned the hallway for witnesses.

Timmy lifted his chin to close the distance to Armie’s lips. “Of course it’s okay,” he said with a slight roll of his eyes. “I’m a grown-ass man. Don’t you know?”

Armie gave a soft chuckle. “Oh, I _know_. So, it is time to face Mama Nicole?”

“Nothing to be nervous about. My parents seem weirdly thrilled that we’re dating again. It’s making me suspicious. Come on, let’s get it over with.”

Armie followed Timmy into the familiar apartment, which seemed unchanged from three years ago with the exception of a few updated photos on the wall (Timmy and his mom at the Golden Globes last year, Pauline in Paris) and a Critics’ Choice award sitting in a prime location on the dining room hutch. Nicole and Marc stood from the sofa and turned at the sound of the men coming down the hall.

“Armie!” Nicole immediately went to Armie with her arms out for a hug. “So good to see you!”

Armie glanced at Timmy who gave a tiny smirk, then returned Nicole’s enthusiastic hug. He turned to shake Marc’s hand. “Good to see you both. You look well.”

Nicole started to pull Armie to the sofa. “Come sit and chat. Tell us all about your new play.”

“Mom! We’re already late. I promise you can grill Armie all you want the next time you see him.”

Nicole’s released Armie’s hand, her eyebrows raised. “And when will that be?”

Armie gave a gracious smile. “My play opens in three weeks. I’d love for you both to attend as my guests. I _think_ Timmy plans on returning to New York for it, as well?” he asked, giving Timmy a questioning look. 

Timmy wrapped his arms around Armie’s waist. “I already told you--I’ll be there. I promise,” he replied in a soft voice.

Nicole and Marc’s eyes flicked to each other, sharing a knowing look. Things had progressed further along between the two men than they had previously guessed.

“Well then, I guess we will chat in three weeks. We don’t want to make you late for your dinner,” Marc replied jovially.

“Tell Giullian hello from us. We miss seeing him. And Will, too. Tell them to stop by sometime, and not be such strangers. Don’t forget,” Nicole said as they walked them to the door.

Timmy gave another eye roll. “Yes mom. Any other messages you want me to pass along to my friends?”

Nicole swatted her son. “Don’t be a brat. Have fun. Good to see you again, Armie.”

The men said one last goodbye as they scooted out the door before Nicole could think of something else for Timmy to tell his friends.

“Well, that was painless,” Armie said as he pushed the elevator call button. “Now… let’s go face your friends.”

*****

Giullian lived in a decent-sized walk-up in Chinatown with his girlfriend, Jessica. Armie and Timmy arrived a little late, which was fine considering Timmy was the guest of honor. Giullian answered the door, pulling Timmy into a tight hug, then turning to Armie.

“So good to see you, man. Congrats on your new play,” he said with a smile as they followed him inside.

Giullian’s living room was filled with people, most of their faces unfamiliar to Armie, although he guessed he had probably met some of them three years ago. Timmy held his hand and took him around the room, introducing him to Jake, his girlfriend Lana, the twins Cheree and Desaree and their boyfriends, and of course Will who was, as always, alone. 

Timmy’s friends were all delighted to see Armie, and had a thousand questions about their reunion. Armie flushed, embarrassed to admit that he had been the one to seek out Timmy, but Timmy saved him by interjecting, “We ran into each other in the theater district Wednesday night, and decided to get a drink.” Armie gave him a grateful smile.

As Guillian left to get them drinks, Joey walked in from the kitchen followed by a girl who was unfamiliar to Timmy. Joey introduced her to Timmy and Armie as his cousin Camille who was visiting from Boston. Timmy put on a gracious smile and said hello to the young girl who was clearly flustered to meet Timmy. When Giullian returned, he pulled him aside.

“You didn’t tell me there would be someone here I didn’t know,” he hissed, casting a worried eye at the pretty girl who tried to hide the fact that she kept staring at Timmy.

“I didn’t know!” Guillian replied defensively. “Joey just showed up with her. I guess her family is visiting for the weekend. But don’t worry; I told her that there is to be absolutely no pictures.”

Timmy glanced at Armie, who was deep in conversation with Will, then back at the girl, who was again blatantly staring at Timmy. She blushed and looked away when their eyes met.

“I _guess_ it’s okay. She looks harmless.”

“She’s like 16! Totally harmless. Well, other than having a huge crush on you. I bet she has a shrine to you in her bedroom. Tell Armie he better watch his back,” he added with a snicker.

Timmy chuckled, gazing at his gorgeous Greek statue of a boyfriend. “I don’t think Armie will be too worried about the competition.” He sighed. “Everyone is being really cool.”

“Dude, everyone is thrilled to see you two back together. I don’t think anyone has forgotten how heartbroken you were when you broke up.”

Timmy gave Giullian’s shoulder a small push. “Shut up, I wasn’t _heartbroken_.”

Giullian shook his head. “Dude. You were heartbroken. But whatever, I’m glad he’s here. Come on, let’s go back to the group.”

*****

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. Armie chatted with all of Timmy’s friends, charming each of them to the point that even his straight male friends found themselves giggling at everything Armie said. Timmy watched him tell Deseree an anecdote, his hands flying in the air as he acted out parts of the story, his eyes wide with excitement. Timmy’s stomach fluttered at the sight of him, having to resist the urge to leave Jake’s side to wrap his arms around Armie’s neck and kiss him senseless.

_What kind of crazy world do we live in that this stunning man is not a movie star?_ he wondered.

Giullian announced that dinner was ready, a buffet of traditional Taiwanese dishes, and everyone stood up to make their plates. Timmy walked over to Armie and slipped his fingers into Armie’s hand.

“You okay? I feel like I’ve barely spoken to you all night.”

“Yes, of course. Your friends are really great. They are all so friendly. Except that Camille. She is _definitel_ y plotting to steal you away from me.”

Timmy bit Armie’s shoulder playfully. “I’d like to see her try. I learned some serious fighting skills during my last movie.”

Armie laughed. “You goof. Come on, let’s get some food.”

*****

By midnight, the boys were exhausted and ready to head back to Armie’s place. Timmy had to get up early the next morning to pack and spend some time with his family before leaving for the airport after lunch. Timmy called for his town car and they said their goodbyes to Giullian and all of Timmy’s friends, who all voiced their appreciation at seeing Armie again. It went unsaid, but it was evident how happy all they were that he was back in Timmy’s life.

Once in the car, Timmy leaned his head back on the seat, sighing with relief.

“That went well?” Armie asked, pulling Timmy close to his side.

“Yeah, it really did. I mean, I wasn’t really worried, but you never know.” He glanced up at Armie. “First my parents, then my friends. Next… the world.”

Armie’s eyes furrowed with concern. “Are you ready for that?”

Timmy shrugged, looking out the window. “I mean, not right now. But soon.” He glanced at Armie. “Unless you aren’t ready for that, Armie.”

Armie smiled. “I’m out of the closet and a theater actor, Timmy. I have nothing to hide. So far, _no one_ has cared about the handful of men I have dated. It’s you I worry about. I want to make sure that you have thought it all through before you do anything irreversible.”

Timmy snuggled deeper against Armie, thankful once again to be back with him, and at what a patient, incredible person he had found in Armie.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything rash. I need to game-plan it all out with Brian. He’ll try and talk me out of it, but I’m not going to let him.” He glanced up into Armie’s kind blue eyes. “I can’t wait to show you off to the world.”

*****

Armie made love to Timmy that night, slow and attentive, sliding into him so deep that Timmy almost sobbed with pleasure. It would be another three weeks before he would see Timmy again, and he wanted to memorize every facial expression he made, every needy sound he produced. They climaxed almost simultaneously, then fell asleep with their sticky, naked bodies entwined. Armie woke up some time in the middle of the night to get some water and clean them up, then immediately fell back into a happy, peaceful sleep.

Timmy’s phone alarm went off early the next morning. He groaned and burrowed into Armie’s embrace, not wanting to leave the soft, furry warmth of Armie’s chest. Armie held him close, whispering into his ear, “You don’t want to be late.”

Timmy moaned, but pulled himself up, grabbing his phone out of instinct. He turned it on and immediately stiffened, his mouth dropping open in alarm.

“What is it?” Armie scooted closer to him.

“Fuck, I don’t know.” He read for another minute, then turned to Armie. “A text from Brian, with a link to an Instagram post. He wrote, ‘ _Why didn’t you tell me about this_?’ I’m not sure what he’s talking about. Hold on. Fuck!”

Armie waited anxiously as Timmy followed the link and waited for it to open. His eyes widened as a post with a picture appeared. He scanned the text, handed his phone to Armie, then threw himself back on the bed in rage.

Armie looked down at the image, dread coursing through his body. It was from Instagram site called DeuxMoi. Armie had never heard of it. He read the post:

_Anon please. Was at a private dinner party in Manhattan for Timothée Chalamet last night (!!!! Right???). He was so funny and sweet to everyone, and even cuter in person. But the best part… he was there with his new BOYFRIEND, Armie Hammer, who I guess is a theater actor (I’ve never heard of him but he is HOT and REALLY TALL). They were holding hands and kissing all night! It was super cute. It was a no-pics-allowed event, but I took one sneaky pic as they were leaving._

And sure enough, there was a picture attached of Timmy and Armie, holding hands, talking to Guillian and Jessica. It was a little blurry, but unmistakably Timmy and, to anyone who knew him, Armie.

Armie muttered, “Fuck,” and looked down at Timmy for guidance. Timmy sat up and gazed at Armie, his expression inscrutable.

“Well, I guess we’re going public.” He shrugged and his mouth spread into an unexpected smile. “I’m ready, Armie.”

He put out his hand for his phone, took a deep breath, and called Brian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter or have anything at all to say, please leave a comment!


	23. Chapter Twenty-three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the aftermath from the Instagram outing. Timmy returns to LA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was ready yesterday, but I was far too distracted by someone's GQ photoshoot, article, and video to have any time to post. Hopefully this will be a nice distraction for everyone recovering from those pictures!
> 
> As always, thank you to my wonderful, generous, and patient readers. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Chapter Twenty-Three

Armie went into the bathroom to give Timmy some privacy while he talked to Brian. They had a lot to discuss. Armie knew first-hand what an emotionally-fraught journey Timmy had ahead of him by officially coming out of the closet. He had done it five years ago and it had been very stressful, and that was without the scrutiny of a studio, the media, and millions of fans. Armie was experiencing a blistering combination of anger and sorrow over the fact that the circumstances and timing of this important decision had been taken from Timmy, but all he could do was be there for him. To give advice if asked, and to be part of Timmy’s support system, no matter what.

He took a long, hot shower, trying to ignore his aching heart. Hurting because Timmy was hurting. Hurting because he was leaving the man that he had only just found three days ago. Hurting because everything that Timmy was about to go through brought back painful images of Armie’s own difficult coming out and his mother’s disapproving words. He turned off the shower and tried to shake it all off. It was time to be strong for Timmy, not wallow in his own wretched memories.

Armie dried himself and wrapped the towel around his waist to go check on Timmy. He found him off the phone and lying on the bed, fully dressed except for his boots, staring up the ceiling. Armie settled on the bed next to him, caressing a gentle hand down his leg.

“How’d it go? Was Brian mad?”

Timmy sat up to look at Armie, his eyes skimming down the length of Armie’s undressed physique, still shimmering with a few stray water droplets from the shower, then back to his expectant face.

“I’m sorry, what? Did you say something?” he asked, with a playful grin.

Armie’s mouth fell open. “Timmy, come _on_! What did Brian say?”

Timmy laughed. “I’m sorry! I was distracted by your half-naked body! What do you expect?” He sighed and sat up. “He wasn’t mad at _me_ ; he was just upset at the situation. We’re obviously not going to do anything today. Neither of us want to put out an official statement or do anything extreme like that. We’re planning on meeting tomorrow before my afternoon screening to plot a strategy.”

“So… what are you thinking? I’m okay with whatever you are comfortable with.”

“I need to talk it over more with Brian, but I’m thinking… nothing. Just let it unfold like any new relationship would. I don’t want to put more pressure on _us_ by making a big deal of it. We’re dating. I’m not straight. Who cares? If I don’t act like it’s a big deal, then maybe it won’t be a big deal.”

Armie looked at Timmy uncertainly. “Maybe? But to some people, it _will_ be a big deal, Timmy. You have to realize that.”

“I know. I’m not naïve, Armie. And I’m sure there will be a ton of questions about my past relationships, and how this will affect the roles I’m chosen for. I just don’t want to focus on those issues. But… I guess those are the things I need to talk about with Brian.”

Timmy looked down, his forehead suddenly creased with worry. Armie pulled him into a hug. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Just know that I’m here for you, along with your parents and Pauline and all your friends. Everyone is going to support you, Timmy.”

Timmy gripped Armie, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude, burying his face in the crook of Armie’s warm neck. “Thank you,” he murmured.

He let Armie hold him for a long moment, relishing the security he got from having Armie’s strong arms holding him tight. Then he sat back, a serious look on his face.

“This is what I wanted, Armie. Maybe not this soon, definitely not in this manner, but this _is_ what I wanted. It was going to happen eventually, along with all of the fallout and all of the consequences. But like I said, I’m ready. It’s worth it.”

Armie’s heart swelled with pride at this brave man in front of him. He had no idea what was next in their journey, but he was prepared to be by Timmy’s side for the duration.

*****

Armie offered to give Timmy a ride back to his parents’ home, allowing them a few extra precious moments together before Timmy left for the west coast. He grabbed Nick’s keys from the kitchen counter as Timmy pulled on his boots.

Nick came out to give Timmy a quick goodbye hug. “It was so great to see you, Tim. You have no idea. This is the most I’ve seen that guy smile in three years,” he confided to Timmy when Armie was out of earshot.

“Me, too, Nick,” Timmy admitted with a smile.

Once they were in the garage, Timmy laughed when he saw Nick’s beat-up Toyota in their parking spot. “Nick still has the same old Camry?” he asked with an amazed grin.

“Yup. And it still runs like a charm. We barely drive it, so why buy something new?” He leaned down to unlock Timmy’s door by hand. “I do sometimes miss my old Range Rover. I sold it before I moved out here.”

Timmy’s eyebrows shot up. “You had a Range Rover? You really did come from money, huh!”

Armie shrugged as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “So what do _you_ drive out there? You must have a car in L.A., right?”

Timmy flushed with embarrassment. “I… don’t drive. I never learned. I rely on my friends and rideshare services to get around. Sometimes Brian.”

Armie turned to stare at Timmy with disbelief. “You don’t know how to drive? Okay, that’s it. When I come out to visit, I’m teaching you. It’s a life skill, Timmy! You _have_ to learn how to drive.”

He started the car with a nod, as if the entire issue was settled. Timmy smirked as he buckled himself in.

“I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into. But if _that’s_ how you’d want to spend our time together when you come visit, suit yourself.” His face turned serious. “Do you think you will be able to? Come visit?”

Armie pulled out of the garage, a slight frown playing on his lips. “Probably not for a while, since my play is just starting. But some day, for sure. I want to see first-hand your glamorous Hollywood movie star life,” he added with a grin.

“Well then, you are in for quite a disappointment. I live in a tiny one-bedroom rental in Santa Monica. It does have pretty spectacular ocean views, though. And I can walk to a lot of places, if I’m in the mood to put on my ‘out-in-public’ disguise.”

Armie chuckled. “And what is that? Fake mustache and glasses?”

“Close. Sunglasses, baseball cap and hoodie. Which works great unless it’s 90 degrees out.”

Armie chuckled at the image of Timmy wearing a hoodie in 90 degree heat and realized that he could totally picture it. They drove for a few more minutes, the dread inside the car getting palpable as they got closer to Timmy’s building. Armie pulled into Timmy’s garage, parked and turned off the car. He turned to Timmy, his face clouded with sadness.

“Well, I guess this is it.” He tried to hide the pure wretchedness that he was feeling.

Timmy nodded, suddenly overcome with emotion. Tears sprang to his eyes. He blinked frantically, trying unsuccessfully not let Armie see.

“Hey, don’t be sad, Timmy.” Armie tried to make his voice sound light and reassuring. “We’ll be together soon. The three weeks are going to fly by.”

Timmy swiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Aren’t you sad?”

Armie took Timmy’s hands in his own, looking intently in his eyes. “Of course I am. More than you know. And I feel terrible that you are going to have to deal with the aftermath of that stupid post without me. It hurts me to see you hurting. “

Armie leaned down and pressed Timmy into a long, slow kiss. He hoped that the gesture hinted to Timmy at exactly how he felt: of the future he believed that they would share, and of the place in his heart that Timmy suddenly held. They weren’t ready to say all these things with words, but he trusted this simple kiss to let him know how important he already was to Armie.

“Call me when you land?”

Timmy nodded, too upset to speak. He gave one last small smile and slipped out of the car. Armie watched him enter the elevator and waited for the door to close before he allowed his own tears to fall from his eyes.

*****

Armie had ignored his buzzing phone the entire morning, wanting to focus on his finite time with Timmy. However, once he was home again, he couldn’t ignore it any longer. He opened his phone and scrolled through the dozen texts that had come in, mostly from friends and castmates. The word was out—he was dating Timothée Chalamet.

The texts were all positive—incredulous, perhaps, but happy for Armie. His close friends knew of his previous relationship with Timmy and the texts were congratulatory in tone. People new to his life were disbelieving: _You are dating TIMOTHEE CHALAMET? OMG, can I meet him? How did you score that? Is he going to come to our play? HOW EXCITING!_

Armie grinned and put down his phone; he would deal with returning texts later. All he wanted to do now was go back to bed and wallow in the misery of missing Timmy.

Timmy also put off the barrage of calls and texts he was receiving. He had already spoken to Brian, and he was with his parents. Everyone else could wait. His closest friends on both coasts already knew that he was back with Armie, so he didn’t think that most of the messages would be about that. No, he was sure that everyone was shocked that he had been outed, and wanted to know what he would do next.

_I just can’t deal with that right now,_ he decided.

Part of him wanted to call Joey and ask to speak to that fucking Camille. He was positive that she had been the one that spoke to the gossip site. But then he decided that it wasn’t worth his time. He would text Joey eventually, but today was not the day.

His mom gave his hug and after hug; she was watching him all morning with worried, furtive glances. Even his dad seemed concerned. Timmy reassured them again and again that he was fine. He was ready and he was going to be okay.

“I’m glad you have Armie by your side for this,” his mom said at one point as she watched Timmy finish packing.

“Me too, mom,” Timmy replied with a soft smile. That was the understatement of the year.

His parent took him to the airport, gave him one more long hug each, and made him promise to call when he landed and to get some rest when he got back to his apartment. Timmy tugged down his baseball hat, following his driver into the airport, hoping to make it to the VIP lounge without getting recognized.

What a morning.

*****

Timmy was thankfully left alone at the airport and for the duration of his flight. He mostly slept and listened to music in his First Class seat, too depressed to focus on the plot of a movie. He always hated leaving his parents behind, but he was used to it. And it was often a little sad knowing that he wouldn’t see Pauline or his friends for several weeks (or sometimes months, depending on his schedule), but it was never that big of a deal. But having to leave Armie behind exposed him to a whole new level of _suck._ Flying three thousand miles in the opposite direction of the man who he didn’t want to be more than a few feet from was almost too painful to bear.

Timmy landed in Los Angeles to unseasonably balmy weather. That served to agitate him even more, as he shed his jacket waiting for his towncar. _It’s not supposed to be 75 degrees in the middle of March,_ he though with annoyance. Even the ubiquitous smell of jacaranda blossoms in the air, a scent that he normally loved, didn’t put a dent in his terrible mood.

His car finally arrived and as he climbed in, he spied a paparazzo snapping pictures of him from across the access road. He scowled and tugged his baseball cap further down on his head. _Sometimes I hate this city,_ he realized as he glared at the palm trees and stucco-covered buildings they were whizzing past on the 30-minute drive to Santa Monica. _I feel so stuck here._

Timmy thought about the next few months of his life in LA. He had a few more Southern California stops in his promotional tour for _Our Mutual Friend_ , followed by a two-week break. He then immediately began filming his next film, a prestige indie film that was being produced in L.A. He clung to the fact that he would see Armie again for the premiere of his play in three weeks, but after that… he had no idea when they would see each other again. Their schedules were packed.

Timmy slunk down in the backseat, pouting. He pulled out his phone and tapped Armie’s contact to Facetime him. Within seconds, Armie’s beautiful blue eyes appeared on Timmy’s screen.

“You made it home safe! How was your flight?”

“It was ok. I’m in a bad mood. It’s too sunny here and I miss you.”

Armie pressed his lips together in sympathy. “I miss you, too. But the next three weeks will fly by. We can facetime every night. It won’t be so bad.”

Timmy looked away from his phone. He felt tears starting to well up in his eyes again and he didn’t want Armie to see. Why was he such a crybaby in front of Armie all the time?

“I guess. We’re pulling up to my building. Can I call you back from inside in a few minutes?”

“Of course. I’ll see you soon.”

They hung up and Timmy took his suitcase from the driver, thanked him, and headed inside. His apartment was on the second floor of a two-story building overlooking Palisades Park and the Santa Monica Pier. Once he was in his apartment, he threw down his bag and went out to his balcony. This was usually one of his favorite places--he could see up the coast all the way to Malibu, as well as busy Ocean Drive right below him. He loved to sit and watch the world go by, anonymously. But even that didn’t cheer him up today. He looked out over the beach, heaving an unhappy sigh. He sullenly returned to his living room, throwing himself down on his sofa. His heart was too heavy to be lifted by pretty scenery.

His phone buzzed with an incoming call; it was Chloe. He did allow himself a small smile at the fact that she always seemed to have a sixth sense for when he needed her. Hers was one of the few calls he would take.

“Hey, Chloe.”

“Hey! Are you home?”

“Yeah.”

“You sound miserable. Miss your man already?’”

“Mmm. I’m supposed to Facetime him soon, so I can’t talk long.”

“That’s fine. He definitely takes precedence over me. I just wanted to see how you are doing. I can _believe_ that fucking post on DeuxMoi this morning. Who the _hell_ outed you?”

Timmy reclined back on his sofa. He felt like he could take a 20-hour nap.

“I think it was Joey’s cousin. She was at the dinner last night.”

“What a _fucking_ … I won’t say it. Are you okay? What you are going to do?”

“Yeah, I’m alright. I’m meeting with Brian tomorrow to strategize.”

“Is he going to make you deny the whole thing? Start another sham relationship?”

“No. I think… Armie and I are going to go public.”

“WHAT???” Chloe’s shriek pierced Timmy’s ear. He held the phone away from his head, chuckling at her reaction. It felt good to laugh a bit.

“Yeah, I think so. What do you think?”

“Oh my god, Timmy. YES! I think you should do it. One thousand fucking percent. EEEK! I am so happy for you!”

He had to laugh at his friend’s enthusiasm. “I’m glad I have your approval. It’s going to be a wild ride. I just hope it doesn’t scare Armie away. He isn’t use to attention from the press.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, T. From what you’ve said, he’s as happy to be back together as you. Okay, I’ll let you go so you can call your man. Drinks soon?”

“Definitely. I think I may need a better disguise though. I have a feeling the paparazzi are going to be relentless for the next few days.”

“You can borrow one of my dresses and Dominick’s most outrageous wig. That will throw them off the scent. Ok, talk soon. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Timmy turned off his phone, grateful for the friends he had found in Los Angeles. They were sometimes the only thing that kept him from throwing all his belongings into a bag and bolting to New York. His smile grew as he Facetimed Armie, his mood improved even more.

Armie appeared on his screen, shirtless on his bed. Timmy sat up to get a better look, his sullenness totally forgotten.

“I like this look on you,” he said with a grin.

“Yeah? I wanted to cheer you up. Did it work?”

“Depends. What do you have on underneath?”

Armie’s eyebrows shot up in mock indignation. “ _Underneath_? Why Mr. Chalamet, how dare you ask such a thing!” He pulled back his phone to reveal the lower half of his body clad in boxers and nothing else. “Is this what you were hoping for?”

Timmy smirked. “It’s a start. There’s just one more thing you need to get rid of…”

“Oh, are we doing this? And yet there you are, fully dressed in airplane attire.”

Timmy giggled, his bad mood completely dissolved now that he was on the phone with Armie. “Hold up.”

He hurried into his bedroom and set down his phone so Armie had a view of his ceiling. When he returned, he was shirtless, as well.

“Better?” He lay back on his pillows, his free hand cupping his increasingly hard cock.

“Much. Did you leave on your boxers, too, or….” Armie raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Timmy tilted his phone to show Armie his completely naked body, his erection at full-mast. When he returned the phone to his face, Armie had set down his own phone and was scrambling out of his boxers. 

“I guess we _are_ doing this!” he laughed when he returned to the screen. “I’ve… never actually done this before.”

“Me, neither.” Timmy slid a hand down to his cock and a small hum escaped his lips. “I miss you so much. Show it to me, Armie.”

“Show you… what?” Armie smirked as his own hand found his hard-on and wrapped around its impressive girth.

“Fuck, don’t tease me!” Timmy giggled and began to stroke himself, his shaft slick with pre-cum. The excitement of doing something new and so erotic with Armie had him close to release already, but he really needed to see Armie’s thick cock first.

Armie chuckled and tilted his phone down. Timmy got a fleeting view of his furry chest and toned abs, and then the screen stopped on the red, leaking head of his cock peeking out of his grip. The sight of it sent a bolt of electricity through Timmy’s body.

“Oh fuck, Armie. You are so fucking hot. I am so close…” Timmy let his thighs fall wide and bucked his hips faster into the tight tunnel of fingers closed around his cock. He imagined that it was Armie’s hand grasping him instead of his own, and he felt his balls tighten.

Armie kept the camera on his fist, his eyes closed as he focused on the needy gasps and whines coming from the other side of the phone line. The sound of Timmy closing in on his orgasm was more than enough to send Armie almost to the edge. His hand slid up and down his erection, and he felt it in every cell of his body when Timmy cried out his name. Timmy let out a final moan of “ _Fuckfuckfuck I’m coming_ ,” and a thick rope of semen shot out of Armie’s tip at the same time.

They were each sprawled out, legs askew, on their respective beds 3000 miles from each other. Catching their breath, coaxing out the last few drops of come, and enjoying their first shared experience of long-distance orgasms. Armie lifted his phone back to his face, but Timmy’s phone was still facing the ceiling. He could hear his heavy breathing just outside the phone screen.

“Hey baby, let me see your face.”

Timmy’s grinning visage appeared on his screen. “I like that.”

“The orgasm?” Armie asked with a chuckle, his voice raspy.

“Well, yeah. But, no. You called me ‘baby.’ I like that.”

Armie’s eyes fell shut. He longed to make a wish and teleport Timmy to his bed. “Mmm, I’ll remember that.” He paused. “My bed feels empty without you.”

Timmy exhaled another giant sigh which threatened to turn into a whine. “I wish I was there. Fuck Armie, I really _really_ wish I was there. This _sucks_.”

Armie didn’t reply, but in his heart and in his head, he agreed. This was going to be even harder than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you read or have anything at all to say about this chapter, PLEASE leave a comment! xoxox


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys struggle through their three weeks apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate having the boys apart, so I won't drag it out more than a chapter ;) This chapter was difficult to write because I hate writing them on different coasts!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Armie and Timmy talked into the night, until Armie asked Timmy a question sometime around midnight west coast time and got heavy breathing in response.

“Timmy? _Timmy?”_

“Mmm, sorry. I fell asleep.”

“It’s okay. But I’m gonna let you go. You have a big day tomorrow, and it’s almost 3 am here. Call me before your first screening.”

“Okay… I miss you…” Timmy’s voice was fading again. Armie chuckled softly.

“I miss you, too. I’m hanging up now, baby. Night.”

Timmy woke in the morning with his phone tucked under his pillow, almost dead. He turned it on to check the time—8:46am—and saw that he already had a missed call and text from Brian.

_Brian: You ready for today? I’ll meet you at your place at 2 and we can talk before we drive to the screening at 3. Sound good?_

_Brian: What are you wearing?_

Timmy rolled his eyes. Brian was always concerned with what he was going to wear.

_Timmy: Leather chaps and cowboy boots?_

_Brian:_

_Timmy: Kidding! Jeans and my new floral Stella button-up, I think._

_Brian: You are hilarious, Timothée. The Stella shirt sounds good. See you at 2._

Timmy hung up, shaking his head at how serious Brian took everything. He decided to check-in with his parents, then answer some texts and emails before calling Armie. He wanted to be able to give him his undivided attention when they Facetimed. Just in case they had a repeat of the previous night….

Timmy lay back on his bed, thinking about their Facetime call, his cock immediately thickening with the memory of Armie’s bare chest and torso and… everything else. Timmy wrapped his hand around his almost-hard shaft and started to stroke, marveling how much hornier he had become in the four days since Armie had re-entered his life.

*****

Armie was on his way out to the Farmers’ Market with Nick when Timmy called. They talked long enough for Armie to wish him good luck and promise to call him after the screening. Timmy got off the phone and went to his kitchen to scrounge up something to eat. His fridge and cupboards were almost bare, but he found a frozen pizza to stick in the oven, and then he jumped in the shower.

Brian arrived at 1:58 with his arms full of bags of groceries. Timmy let him in with a grateful smile.

“You’re the best, Brian. How did you know I needed food?”

Brian took the bags into Timmy’s kitchen and began to unload them into pantry. “Timmy, how long have I known you for? Almost six years now, I think? I know you better than you know yourself sometimes.” He passed a large container of cream cheese to Timmy to put into the refrigerator. “Which is why you need to listen to me today.”

_Here we go,_ thought Timmy.

“Can we go to the living room for this please? I can’t deal with a lecture standing up,” Timmy replied with a tense tone.

Brian smiled. “I’m not going to say what you think I’m going to say, Tim. But yes, pour me a cup of coffee and let’s go into the living room.”

Timmy fixed them both a mug of coffee and followed Brian out to his couch. Brian took a sip and set down his mug; Timmy held onto his, balancing it on his thigh. He turned to face Brian and waited expectantly.

Brian looked over at Timmy, shaking his head with a fond smile. “You don’t make my job easy, Timmy. You know that, right?”

Timmy shrugged apologetically. “Sorry Brian.”

Brian reached over and patted him on the knee. “Don’t be sorry, Tim. _I’m_ sorry for making you feel like you have to apologize. I had a long talk with Peter last night about your situation, and he helped me remember what it’s like to be young and gay and newly in love in Hollywood. I’ve had a bit of tunnel-vision with your career because I know what you’re capable of.” 

He leaned in closer to Timmy. “You are already a star, Tim, and you’re just going to keep getting bigger. I realized last night that your talent is too undeniable to be diminished by you coming out. My mindset before was that you should stay in the closet because you have all this amazing potential. But I was wrong—if anyone can break barriers and defy stereotypes, it will be you.”

He sat back and waited for Timmy to take this all in. Timmy was nodding slowly, thinking it all over. He had no idea if Brian was right or not. The fact was he was willing to take the chance because it was a risk worth taking to him, to live honestly. But he had to admit that he hoped that Brian was right; that he had enough talent and clout in Hollywood that this wouldn’t impact his career too substantially.

“So now what, Brian?”

“So…. I’m willing to follow your lead. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Timmy shifted in his seat, wondering if his idea of letting things unfold naturally was still the best. “I was thinking that I would rather _not_ make some big announcement coming out and announcing that Armie and I are dating. I’m going with my parents to the opening night of Armie’s play in a few weeks. We could take some pics together then, maybe hold hands and confirm our relationship that way. The same way a straight couple would do it.”

Brian nodded thoughtfully. “You could do that. The two of you just reconnected this last week, right? It really is too early to discuss your relationship publicly. I will make sure there are no questions about your personal life at the Q&A’s, and we’ll skip audience questions, just in case.”

Timmy breathed a sigh of relief. He was not ready to discuss his and Armie’s budding relationship, and he definitely did not want to be interrogated about his sexuality.

“Thank you, Brian.”

Brian pulled Timmy into a quick one-armed shoulder squeeze. “I know I’m tough on you sometimes, Timmy. But it’s because I care about you, and want only the best for you. Now come on, let’s hit the road. Traffic in Beverly Hills can be brutal on Sunday afternoons.”

The two screenings went smoothly and Brian dropped Timmy off at home before 9pm. He hurried inside to call Armie. He had been thinking of him all day, wishing that he had thought to take a few pictures of him to keep on his phone for these long weeks apart. He missed those blue eyes more than he ever thought possible.

*****

By the time Armie hung up with Timmy, it was almost 2am. They had made it almost an hour into their conversation before Timmy started dropping hints about being horny and wanting to see Armie’s cock. Armie played coy for as long as he could, pretending to have no idea what Timmy was insinuating, his own erection growing hard with their game. Eventually, he gave in with a laugh, tugging down his sweatpants and breathing into the screen, “Your turn.” Timmy shimmied out of his own shorts in record time.

When they were done, Armie watched Timmy struggle to keep his eyes open, his breathing starting to grow heavy. He could have stayed on the phone and watched him sleep all night, but he had rehearsal in the morning, the last week of rehearsals before previews began the following week. He whispered Timmy’s name and said good night when one of Timmy’s eyelids slowly fluttered up.

“I’ll call you when I get home from the theater. What do you have going on tomorrow?”

Timmy’s mouth barely moved as he answered. “Nothin’. Playing video games and watching Netflix.”

Armie chuckled softly. “Enjoy your day off. Talk to you tomorrow… I’m hanging up now.”

Timmy’s lips curled up into a smile, and that was the last thing Armie saw as he shut down his phone. He sighed as he plugged in his phone next to the bed and turned off his nightstand light.

God, he missed Timmy so much, and it had been less than 48 hours since they last saw each other. These were going to be the longest three weeks of his life.

The men fell into a routine of texting throughout each day, then Facetiming at night. They always started the conversation with genuine intentions of catching up on the events of each other’s life, but inevitably the call would devolve into phone sex. Not that Armie was complaining. It was probably the one thing that was going to get him through the separation—being able to actually see Timmy’s beautiful face and body every night. Having that mutual sexual release every night kept their connection intense and immediate.

At work, Armie had worried about the reaction of his castmates to his new relationship with Timmy. However, when he returned to rehearsal that week, he was relieved to find that, for the most part, people were discreet. A few of his female cast members asked him privately, “Is it true?” and he had to admit that he was a little proud to be able to say “Yes.” Yes, he was, in fact, dating that gorgeous movie star, Timothée Chalamet. 

He also noticed a paparazzo outside his theater one day and apartment building another, lazily snapping a few pics of him hurrying in and out. The pap quickly lost interest when it became apparent that Timmy was no longer in New York with Armie, most likely moving on to more famous subjects.

Friday night, Armie’s friend Tyler sent him a link from a gossip site—a blurry picture of him ducking into a cab, with the caption, “Timothee’s New Squeeze?” Tyler added the message: _Finally, the fame you’ve been looking for!_

Armie messaged back three words: _Fuck off, Tyler_. He fell back on his pillow with a sigh. _Guess I’d better get used to this,_ he thought as he turned off the light for bed.

*****

The next weekend, Timmy finished the last of his audience screenings for _Our Mutual Friend_ , then had a few days off before starting fitting and doing a table read for his next film, a small indie film set in 1960’s Hollywood. His last big commitment before returning to New York was meeting with the producers of the film _Nottingham_. He was set to play Robin Hood in an updated version of the tale, which focused on his romance with Marion. Timmy had confessed to Armie how nervous he was to step into the shoes of such an iconic character. The film also contained Timmy’s first sex scene, an idea that Armie could not wrap his brain around, so he instead chose to ignore that it would eventually happen.

And then… Timmy would be back in New York. Armie closed his eyes, thinking about their reunion. All the things that he would do to Timmy and maybe ( _maybe_?) the things he would let Timmy do to him.

Armie fell asleep Saturday night, his mind filled with filthy thoughts.

He’d been asleep for several hours when his phone began buzzing with an incoming Facetime call. He quickly grabbed it, knowing it must be Timmy. He glanced at his nightstand clock—it was after 4am. His heart quickened; he hoped nothing was wrong.

He took the call and half of Timmy’s face appeared on his screen. He appeared to be laying down, his head turned away from the phone.

“Timmy? Is everything okay?”

At the sound of Armie’s voice, Timmy turned to the screen. A sloppy smile spread across his face.  
“Armieee! I miss you!”

_Drunk._

A slurred, screechy female voice rang through Armie’s speaker. “Tell him you want to have phone sex! Tell him!”

Timmy’s face turned away from the screen again. “Shut up, Chloe! I thought you were ordering us ramen. Get me chicken. Wait no, tonkotsu. Where are you ordering from? Get it from Jinya!”

Armie chuckled at Timmy’s drunkenness. “Timmy! Hey, it’s 4am here. Talk to me or I’m hanging up.”

Timmy reappeared on the screen, looked slightly abashed. “Sorry, sorry. I’m a little drunk…”

Armie snorted. “No! I couldn’t tell,” he said with a tired grin.

Timmy burrowed into the couch pillow, looking close to passing out. “Mmm, it’s true. Chloe kidnapped me tonight. Took me out against my will.”

Suddenly a pretty female face appeared on Timmy’s screen. “Hi Armie! Oh my god, you really _are_ … never mind. Your boy needed to get out of the house. He’s been cooped up playing Overwatch and eating cold pizza all week. We got a private room at the San Vicente Bungalows. No paps there. But he drank _way_ too many Jack and Cokes.”

Timmy groaned from off-screen.

“Sounds like you had fun.”

Chloe giggled. “We did. A model hit on Timmy. A _MALE_ model!”

Armie’s stomach tightened at this statement. But he and Timmy weren’t exclusive; he had every right to flirt with whoever he wanted.

Timmy snatched the phone back from Chloe, suddenly more alert. “It was nothing, Armie. She’s being dumb.” He turned his head towards Chloe. “You’re being dumb.” He looked back at Armie. “It was weird, though. I’ve never had a guy hit on me before when I’ve been at a straight club But I guess the word is out already.”

“Did that upset you? Was he rude?” The pit in Armie’s stomach grew.

“No, he was just… interested. But I wasn’t. I wanted to come home and talk to you.”

Chloe’s voice carried through the screen. “It’s true, Armie. He talks about you all the time. It’s a little pathetic.”

Armie relaxed a little. “I miss you, too baby. But I need to go. It’s late here. Call me tomorrow after you wake up, if you’re not too hungover.”

“I will, I miss you, too!” A buzz sounded on Timmy’s end of the phone line. “Oh, our ramen is here. Gotta go! Bye Armie!”

“Bye, babe. Drink lots of water!” But he was already gone.

Armie sighed as he plugged in his phone. Men were hitting on Timmy. That it was inevitable didn’t make Armie like it any more. He had told Timmy that he didn’t want to rush into a relationship again, but he was eager for the day when he knew that they were exclusive. He didn’t want to share Timmy with anyone.

*****

The boys struggled through the next week apart. Both were busy with work, which made time go by faster, but not necessarily any easier. Armie’s play went into previews, so he was getting home later and often was too tired to talk. Timmy was usually just waking up as Armie was leaving for the theater, leaving them little time to connect. It was all very unsatisfying but, Armie reminded himself, temporary. Timmy would be back in New York, at least for a few days, very soon.

A week before Timmy’s arrival, he called Armie surprisingly early one morning.

“You’re up early. Turning over a new leaf?”

Timmy sighed a huge yawn. “Nah. I’m meeting with the producers of Nottingham at 9 this morning. Who schedules a meeting at 9 in the morning?”

Armie chuckled. “The entire world, Timmy. That is normal business hours.”

Timmy grunted. “Whatever. I need coffee. Wish me luck. Brian keeps telling me that this film could ‘break me out’ to more mainstream audiences. Whatever the fuck that means.”

“Well, good luck. Not that you’ll need it. Call me later.”

“I will. Miss you. I miss you so much, Armie.”

“Miss you, too, baby.”

*****

Armie left for the theater, ready for another long day and night on the stage. It wasn’t until he collapsed in bed at midnight that he realized that Timmy never called to tell him about his meeting. He had a pang of concern for a moment, but he quickly dismissed it. He most likely had a busy day and just didn’t have time to call. Armie was too tired to worry about it. He would make sure to call Timmy before he left for the theater the next day.

Armie was awoken the next morning not by his alarm, but the house phone ringing. He hurried out of bed and into the kitchen to answer it, confused. Very few people called Armie and Nick on their house phone; it was mostly used by Carl or Paul, the other doorman, to announce guests. But it was 6am; there was no way it was a visitor.

He grabbed the phone of its hook, the floor cold on his bare feet. “Hello?”

“Good morning, Mr. Hammer. So sorry to bother you so early, but you have a visitor waiting for you in the lobby. Can I send him up?”

“Um, well… who is it, Paul?”

Armie heard a mumble as his doorman spoke to the guest.

“Timothee Chalamet? He says he is a friend.”

Armie’s heart stopped. What the hell was Timmy doing here?

“Of course. Send him right up.”

Armie hung up and strode back to his room to look at his phone. He had muted it the night before, but as soon as the screen lit up, he saw a few missed calls and text messages from Timmy starting from about an hour ago to just a few minutes earlier. His heart sank. Timmy needed him and he hadn’t been there for him. Before he had a chance to read through the messages, a soft knock sounded from the door. Armie took off down the hallway to answer the door before it woke up Nick. He swung the door open, and there was Timmy, holding a dufflebag. He was disheveled and he looked absolutely exhausted.

Armie grabbed him and pulled him through the door and into his arms. He began apologizing over and over for not hearing his phone. He had no idea what was going on with Timmy, but he knew that he hadn’t been there for him when he needed him.

“I’m so sorry, Timmy. What’s going on? How.. why are you here??”

Timmy clung to Armie like a life raft. His body shook with what felt like a sob, and then he finally spoke.

“They fired me, Armie. They fucking fired me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying with this fic! If you like what you've read, or have any thoughts, PLEASE leave a comment!


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy is back in New York City! Hooray!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this fic with very little editing. Forgive any and all errors... or if it's a mess!
> 
> And, as always, thank you for your continued support of this fic! xoxox

Chapter Twenty-Five

“They fired me, Armie. They fucking fired me.”

The anguish of Timmy’s words pierced Armie’s heart, and he hugged Timmy to his chest even tighter. He wracked his brain for which “they” Timmy was referring to, and recalled that he’d had a meeting for his new Robin Hood film the day before.

He held Timmy a moment longer then whispered, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Timmy shook his head against Armie’s chest. “Later. I’m so tired, Armie. Can I… stay here for a few hours?”

Armie kissed the top of Timmy’s head. “You can stay here as long as you want, Timmy. Seriously. I am so happy to see you, I may never let you leave.”

Timmy nuzzled into Armie’s chest again and sighed. Armie had no idea what happened at that meeting, and at the moment he didn’t even care. All he wanted was to protect Timmy from whatever it was that had caused him to get on a plane and flee 3000 miles. At that thought, a small smile formed on his face. Timmy flew across the entire country to be with _him_. Warmth flooded through his body.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

Timmy allowed Armie to lead him by his hand down the hallway, letting out a huge yawn as they walked. “What time do you have to be at the theater?”

“I usually go in around 3, but I can go a little later today. We can spend most of the day together.”

Timmy gave a tired smile. “That sounds perfect.”

Armie shut the door behind him and watched as Timmy pulled off his jacket, then his boots, sweatshirt and sweatpants. He was still recovering from the fact that Timmy was _there_ , in Armie’s apartment. He crawled into Armie’s bed in just his t-shirt and boxers.

“Are you coming?” he asked sleepily.

Armie couldn’t scramble into his bed fast enough.

*****

Armie woke up hours later, his arms wrapped around a snoring Timmy who was still passed out cold. He nuzzled his nose into Timmy’s curls, breathing in the scent of him, marveling again that he was actually in Armie’s bed. He was scheduled to arrive in NYC and make an appearance at Armie’s premiere in five days anyway, but having five extra days with him was the best kind of surprise.

But then Armie remembered the reason he was here--he had been fired from a role. Why? Because he was outed by some gossip site? Was he fired because of _rumors_? The thought made Armie furious and a bit nauseous with guilt at his part in the whole thing. The last thing he had wanted when he bought that ticket for Timmy’s screening three weeks ago was to have a negative impact on his career. He prayed that Timmy wouldn’t come to regret their reconciliation.

Armie slowly climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Timmy. He pulled on socks and a sweatshirt and slipped out the door. Noises from the kitchen told him that Nick was up already.

Nick was making coffee when Armie walked in. He sat down at one of the counter barstools. “Morning. Hey, will you make some extra coffee? We have a guest.”

Nick glanced over his shoulder at Armie. “Morning. Yeah, I saw that duffle bag on the floor and wondered. Is Timmy here? I thought he wasn’t coming until the end of the week?”

“That’s what I thought, too. But something happened. I haven’t heard the whole story yet. He…”

He paused at the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned to find Timmy standing there, looking better rested than earlier that morning. Armie held out an arm for Timmy cuddle into.

“Hey there. Did we wake you? I’m sorry, baby. I tried to be quiet.”

Timmy lifted his chin to kiss Armie good morning. “No, not at all. I feel a lot better. I’m dying for some coffee though.” He looked pulled his face away from Armie. “Good morning, Nick. I’m, uh, here.”

Nick chuckled. “I see that. Good to see you, Timmy. Here you go.” He handed Timmy a large mug of coffee, which Timmy accepted gratefully.

Armie took the mug that Nick handed over while Timmy settled in on the barstool next to him. Nick opened the fridge and took out eggs and bacon. “Anyone hungry?”

“Oh god, me. Thank you, Nick,” Timmy answered quickly.

“So… are you ready to talk about what happened? No rush, if you don’t feel up for it.” Armie gently rubbed Timmy’s knee. Timmy sighed.

“No, it’s okay. Fuck, I need to call Brian, too. He was with me and he knows how upset I was, but I didn’t tell him that I was leaving L.A.” He took a sip of coffee, thinking. “God, it still pisses me off. Fuck them. Brian had warned me that this might happen, but I still can’t believe it.”

He set down his coffee mug with a thud. “Fuck them,” he growled again, even more emphatically.

Armie and Nick glanced at each other, concerned. Armie had never seen Timmy so upset. “So… what happened?”

Timmy paused for several moments, gathering his thoughts, then finally spoke.

“Brian and I went to the meeting yesterday morning to discuss the production. Scheduling for filming, locations, contracts. You know--everything. It was my understanding that I was cast, that it was a done deal. But as soon as we got there, the producers said that ‘In light of recent events,' casting me could be a financial liability. They never came out and said that it’s because I’m gay, but it was heavily implied. It’s a big-budget action love story. They can’t have some _gay kid_ as the lead,” he finished bitterly.

Armie felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He had suspected that what Timmy described was what went down, but actually hearing it from Timmy was devastating.

“I am so sorry, Timmy. What does Brian say? Are you going to fight it?”

Timmy sighed and picked up his mug again. “There’s nothing _to_ fight. We were there to sign contracts, so we had nothing in writing. Brian is going to compose a ‘strongly worded letter’ about their incredibly homophobic decision, but they work for a huge studio. They won’t care. They only care about one thing, box office numbers, and I guess they feel that I’m no longer a box office draw. Or at least I won’t be once I come out.” His voice quivered at his last words.

Armie leaned over to Timmy and wrapped his arms around him. “I honestly don’t think that will be true, Timmy. They are making decisions based on fear and ignorance. Fuck them. They are clueless, out-of-touch assholes. You don’t need them.”

Timmy melted into Armie’s embrace. _This_ was why he had flown 3000 miles in the middle of the night.

“I’m sorry for showing up at your door before I had a chance to talk to you. I…”

“Shhh. I am _so_ glad that you came, Timmy. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that you needed someone and you came to me.”

Timmy pulled away to look up into Armie’s eyes. “Really?”

“Really.” Armie leaned down to press his lips to Timmy’s, his quick peck transforming into a passionate kiss. Nick cleared his throat from where he was flipping bacon at the stove.

“Hey guys, breakfast can wait. Why don’t you finish your reunion in the bedroom.”

Timmy giggled and pulled back. “No way. I’m starving and that bacon smells so fucking good. We can wait another hour. Right, Armie?”

Armie adjusted himself and gave a reluctant smile. “Sure. We can wait. We’ve got all morning and afternoon.”

Nick groaned. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll be sure to make myself scarce so I don’t have to listen to the two of you all day.”

Nick finished cooking breakfast, and the men settled in at the table to eat.

“So, what do you plan to do next, Timmy?” Nick asked.

“Well, I’m still filming _Slow Dance on Sunset Strip_ next month, but now my summer has freed up. Brian has several projects he wants me to consider but I was thinking…. I might do some summer theater. Here.”

Armie set down his fork with a grin. “You’re kidding. Really?”

Timmy took a huge bite of bacon and nodded. “I’ve had a few offers, which Brian assumed I would turn down. They pay nothing and they’re very low-profile. But you know what? I miss the theater and I miss New York. Hollywood can suck my balls.”

Nick snorted. “That’s right. You tell ‘em, Timmy. I think it’s a fucking brilliant idea. We need you.”

Armie gave Timmy a soft smile. “Well, I don’t want to influence your decision but… I think it’s pretty brilliant, too. And I can think of a lot of people who would be happy to have you around for the summer.”

Timmy returned the smile. The idea had come to him on the flight to New York, somewhere over Kansas. Timmy was bitter and burned out on Hollywood. He needed a break. He hadn’t done theater since Prodigal Son, which was one of the best experiences of his professional life. It seemed like the perfect time to get out of Los Angeles and work on his craft for a few months. He could start filming his next project in the fall.

The fact that he would get to spend extended time with Armie was just a bonus not the main draw, he assured himself. He knew Brian would not be happy, but Timmy decided that this is what he needed as an actor right now. He was going to fight for it.

*****

Timmy and Armie cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast, then retreated to the bedroom. Nick was in the shower, and had informed them that he would be gone all day, so they could be as loud as they wanted. Timmy blushed at that, but a fire ignited in his belly as Armie nuzzled into his neck and said, “Good to know.”

Their relationship was still very new, and they had had sex only a handful of times (not counting the Facetime sex they’d been enjoying for the last two weeks), so they were still figuring each other out. But the few times they had had sex had been, with no exaggeration, _mind-blowing_ for Timmy. He was eager to find out if their separation would make it even better.

Armie took Timmy’s hand and led him to the bathroom. “Let’s shower,” he murmured, as he pulled Timmy’s shirt off and began to sprinkle soft kisses across his chest. Goosebumps sprung up all over Timmy’s body as Armie dragged his tongue down Timmy’s abs, all the way to the waistband of his sweatpants. They were Armie’s and quite loose, so they fell down around Timmy’s ankles with one firm tug. He mouthed at Timmy’s rock solid erection, still encased in his boxers.

Timmy glanced down with a grin. “I thought we were going to shower. I’m pretty rank.”

Armie grabbed the side of Timmy’s boxers and yanked them down, leaving Timmy completely naked. He kneeled down in front of Timmy and licked a slow stripe up the side of his cock, savoring his musty taste. “I don’t give a shit,” he mumbled.

Timmy’s goosebumps had turned into full-fledged goosepimples. “Come on, Armie. I’m freezing!”

Armie stood up with a laugh. “Okay, you big baby. Let’s shower.” He reached over to turn on the spray then quickly shed his clothes. Timmy stood with his arms wrapped around his chilled body, watching Armie undress. The sight warmed him immediately.

“God, you are so fucking hot. How did I get so lucky that I get to take a shower with such a perfect specimen of the male body?” Timmy mused out loud.

Armie checked the water temperature, then pulled Timmy into his shower. The stall was quite large for a Manhattan apartment and easily fit both men. Timmy hummed with relief as soon as the hot water hit his body. He leaned back to let the water soak his hair. Armie filled his palm with shampoo, and lovingly worked Timmy’s his hair into a lather; Timmy was barely able to suppress a groan of pure pleasure at the feel of his strong but gentle fingers massaging his scalp.

“Fuck Armie. This is almost better than sex,” he sighed. Armie grinned, letting his soapy hands roam up and down the slick expanse of Timmy’s wet body. He pulled Timmy under the hot spray to rinse off, then quickly soaped up his own body. He was shampooing his hair with his eyes closed with he felt Timmy’s chest press against his back, and his arms wrap around his stomach.

“I can’t believe I’m here, Armie. I don’t even care about that movie anymore. I’m just so happy to be with you.”

Armie leaned his head back to rinse his hair, then turned to face Timmy, their naked bodies pressed together under the stream of hot water. It amazed him how good and right it felt, having Timmy in his arms. He gazed down at Timmy’s face, rivulets of waters streaming down his cheeks. His hair was slicked back on his head, making his cheekbones and eyes more pronounced. He looked like a painting.

“Me, too. I hate _why_ you’re here, but I love that you _are_ here.” He leaned down to capture Timmy’s lips in his own, rocking forward so their cocks rubbed together. “Are you ready to get out?”

Timmy responded by looping a leg around Armie’s thigh and rolling his hips into Armie, eliciting a gasp from him. Armie reached behind him to turn off the water, then turned back to Timmy, surging into him with a desperate kiss. Timmy’s back hit the shower wall and Armie considered taking him right there, not wanting to wait to get back to the bed. But then he felt Timmy shiver again and he pulled away, out of breath with desire.

“Come on, let’s dry off and get into bed. I don’t want you catching pneumonia on your first day back.”

*****

Ten minutes later, they were warm and dry, spooned under Armie’s down comforter, Armie pushing into Timmy with slow, deliberate thrusts. His face was nuzzled into the crook of Timmy’s neck and he had Timmy captured tight in his arms. Timmy let out a steady stream of moans, escalating in volume every time Armie’s cock went particularly deep, nudging his sweet spot.

“Fuck Armie, you feel so big inside of me. Harder!”

Armie felt his balls suddenly tighten at Timmy’s words. Nothing turned him on more than knowing he was making Timmy feel good. He paused for a second to catch his breath, not wanting to end too soon. He pulled out of Timmy for a quick moment, causing him to whimper in protest. He manhandled Timmy, roughly pulling him up onto his knees.

“You want harder?” he asked, kissing the dimple that lived at the base of Timmy’s back. Timmy nodded, unable to form words, his head hanging low. Armie rubbed the head of his slick cock up and down Timmy’s crevice a few times before pushing into him with one smooth plunge. Timmy gasped in pleasure, pushing back to impale himself further onto Armie’s stiff shaft.

“Okay then, harder,” Armie panted, as he began to drive forcefully into Timmy. Timmy grabbed a pillow to hold onto, biting into the fabric as Armie fucked him mercilessly. The sight of Timmy below him, gasping expletives, coming undone, was enough to send Armie shooting towards release. He pounded into Timmy even harder, closing his eyes to be in the moment, to enjoy the heat that was spreading through every cell of his body.

“I’m close, baby,” he gasped. He reached under Timmy to grab his leaking cock, stroking it in time to his own thrusts.

“Me, too… oh fuck!” A stream of hot come suddenly shot out of Timmy’s cock, and the sight of it sent Armie over the edge. He clutched Timmy even tighter with his free arm and his body suddenly shuddered with an orgasm so intense, he almost fell over taking Timmy with him. He steadied himself, slowly sliding into Timmy a few more times, enjoying the aftershocks of his incredible release, letting wave after wave of bliss wash over him.

He kissed Timmy’s back a few more time, then carefully pulled out of Timmy’s swollen hole, pinching his base of his dick so the condom wouldn’t slide off. Timmy started to collapse underneath him, but then he paused. “Oh, I made a mess on your sheet, Armie.”

Timmy rolled away from the wet spot, burrowing into Armie’s comforter. Armie returned with a towel to cover the wet spot. “ _We_ made a mess. It’s ok; I’ll change it later. No sense changing it now when we’re just going to make more of a mess later.”

Timmy giggled, snuggling into Armie’s chest. “Mm, you’re right. I think I need another nap first, though.”

Armie sighed, closing his eyes. His world had never felt rounder; he felt incredibly content and complete. “Excellent idea, Timmy. Really excellent.”

*****

The boys took a short nap, had sandwiches, fucked again, and then watched some Netflix on Armie’s laptop. It was, he thought, the perfect day. Eventually he had to get up to shower again, to get ready for his night at the theater. He had a 7pm show and it was already after 3--he was pushing it with how late he was, considering the play was still in previews.

Timmy watched him dry off and get dressed from Armie’s bed. Armie pulled on his shirt, then turned to Timmy. “You can totally stay here while I’m gone, if you want. Or do you need to check in with your parents?”

Timmy chewed his lip nervously. He really didn’t want to leave, but he also didn’t want to overstay his welcome. “Is it okay if I stay tonight?”

Armie sat next to him on his bed. “Of course! I actually can’t think of a single thing I’d like more,” he added with a soft smile.

“I… I’d love to come to your show tonight. Watch from backstage. I’d stay out of the way. Would that be too much?”

Armie’s mouth dropped open in shock. “No, I would love that! Are you sure, Timmy? I don’t want you to rush into anything. But if you want, you can come in through the backdoor and watch from the side. No one but the cast and crew would know you’re there.”

Timmy shrugged. “It would be the perfect time, actually. No one knows I’m in New York, so no one will be looking for me.”

Armie grinned. “Okay, then. It’s settled. Come by the theater around 6 so I can introduce you around. We’ll pick up dinner after the show. We’ll be done by 9:30.”

Timmy grabbed Armie’s hand and squeezed. “I can’t wait to see you on stage. I’ve been dreaming of this for like, literally years.”

Armie’s heart swelled for the 100th time that day. Sometimes he wondered if the man beside him was too good to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this fic, or have any thoughts on it, please leave a comment!


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy goes to see Armie's play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just pure happy fluff, with just a touch of light smut. Fun to write; hopefully fun to read!
> 
> As always, thank you all for your incredible support with this fic! I think it will be wrapping up in 2-3 chapters.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Armie got to the theater quite late, causing his director to look pointedly at his watch then back at Armie with raised eyebrows. He fortunately said nothing; Armie knew he had enough goodwill saved up to get away with being late once. He was typically a reliable workhouse and had never been late before.

He hurried backstage and slipped into his dressing room. Within minutes, Kayla, the show’s head makeup artist, was knocking on his door.

“Hey, where have you been? John was starting to get worried.”

Armie sighed. “Shit, I know. I was later than I had planned on being.” He lowered his voice. “Timothée showed up at my door early this morning.”

“What?!” Kayla came all the way into his dressing room and shut the door behind her. “Why? What happened?”

“It’s a long story. He was planning on coming this weekend for the premiere anyway. But something came up and he decided to come a few days early and, um, surprise me.”

Kayla was almost vibrating with excitement. “That is awesome, Armie! I can’t wait to meet him. Not as a fan. Just because you’re, you know, dating him.” She gave him a guilty smile. Armie knew that half of the women (and men) he worked with had crushes on Timmy.

“Well, that will be soon. He’s coming to the show tonight.”

Kayla’s eye widened. “He’s coming here _tonight_?” Armie watched as she checked herself out in the mirror and subconsciously ran a hand through her hair. “Oh, well, I uh, I better go. Get dressed and I’ll be back in thirty to do your makeup.”

Kayla hurried out of Armie’s dressing room, and he wondered if she was going to fix her hair, or spread the word that Timmy was coming to the theater. He shook his head with a smile; it was going to take time getting used to the fact that Timmy was lusted after by millions of people, including many people Armie knew.

Armie went about his normal pre-show routine—checking in with the director for any notes on last night’s performance, looking over his lines, getting on his costume--when someone knocked on his door. The stage manager, Pete, cracked it open.

“You’ve got a guest, Armie,” he said with a grin, then opened it wide to reveal Timmy, smiling nervously and holding a huge bouquet of roses.

Armie stood up to greet him. “Thank, Pete.” He turned to Timmy with a huge smile. “Hey there! You didn’t have to bring flowers.”

Timmy bit his lower lip. “Is it cheesy? I was worried that it was cheesy, but I wanted to bring you something. I was so excited, and…”

“I _love_ them, Timmy. Thank you.” Armie took the flowers from Timmy with a soft kiss, then set them down on his dressing table. He turned back to take in all of Timmy. He was wearing dark jeans, a baseball cap, his leather jacket and…

“Is that my sweater?” Armie opened Timmy’s jacket to get a better look. Sure enough, Timmy was wearing one of his plaid pull-overs.

Timmy glanced down, smoothing a hand over Armie's soft sweater. “I hope it’s okay. I packed really shitty. I didn’t bring any nice clothes for cold weather. Or any nice clothes at all, actually. It’s a little big on me, but I didn’t think you would mind.”

Armie couldn’t help but grin. Timmy looked absolutely adorable in his sweater and it made him _feel things_ seeing him in it. “You can wear my clothes anytime you, baby. You don’t even have to ask. It looks better on you than me anyway.”

Timmy nudged his head into Armie’s shoulder. “Well, now I _know_ you’re lying. So, you want to show me around? I want to see everything and meet everyone.”

“Of course! Do you want anything to drink while we walk around?” Armie went to his mini-fridge and grabbed two waters. “You can hang your coat in my closet.”

Armie took Timmy by the hand to lead him around the theater. He was so excited and proud to introduce Timmy to his fellow castmates and crew.

*****

Timmy eagerly soaked up every detail of the theater as Armie led him around. His pounding heart confirmed what he already suspected---- it was time to get back to his roots and return to the stage, even for just a few months.

The names and faces of all the people he met blurred together--cast members, costume mistress, set designer--but everyone was friendly and welcoming. He recognized a certain look on several of the women’s faces (and more than a few of the men’s)--nervous elation disguised as nonchalance at meeting him--and knew they were fans. He did his best to be gracious, shaking hands and even giving a few hugs, and hoped peoples’ reactions to him weren’t bothering Armie. But every time he glanced over at him, he looked utterly delighted.

By the time they got back to Armie’s dressing room, it was close to show time. Kayla returned to do Armie’s makeup, and Armie noted with amusement that she had changed her outfit to a dress and had curled her hair. She chatted with Timmy as she did Armie’s face, giggling at everything he had to say. Showtime came, and Armie found an unobtrusive place for Timmy to watch from, out of sight from the audience. Timmy settled in on his chair, smiling and shaking his head when people checked in on him, wanting to know if he needed anything. Armie came by right before the show started. Timmy gave him a good luck kiss and whispered, “Break a leg.” Armie squeezed his hand as thanks and went to take his place.

By the time the show began, Timmy was vibrating with excitement to see Armie perform. Being back inside the theater, within the inner workings of a Broadway play, made him feel incredibly alive. The thought of returning to this world in a few months excited him more than any other project he had worked on in the last few years.

Armie’s play, Grand Horizon, was an ensemble piece about a family whose elderly parents were going through a divorce. Armie’s character was the responsible, serious son, reacting to the divorce with horror. Timmy watched with admiration as Armie was able to infuse humanity and humor into the dour character. He was impressed with the entire production, but had a hard time pealing his eyes off of Armie’s charismatic form on stage. When the final scene came to an end, Timmy was on his feet, applauding with genuine enthusiasm. He hadn’t been wrong three years ago when Armie had impressed him as an incredibly gifted thespian.

After the applause died down, Timmy slipped back to Armie’s dressing room to wait for him. He couldn’t wait to kiss him and hold him and tell him how fantastic his performance was. He realized that (at the moment) he was the more famous of the two of them. But that fact sometimes seemed incredibly unfair. How was _he_ a bigger star than this golden Adonis of a man, who was equally blessed with intelligence, charm, AND talent? Timmy was sure that Armie would be discovered one day soon, and his star would rise.

Seconds later, Armie burst in his room, still on an adrenaline-high from his performance. Timmy rushed over to him, jumping on him with no warning.

“Oh my god, Armie… that was _so good_!” he cried, throwing his arms around Armie’s neck.

Armie huffed in surprise, wrapping his strong arms around Timmy’s waist to keep his steady.

“Thank you, baby. It _felt_ really good. I loved knowing that you were here watching.” He set Timmy down, but kept him close. He looked down into Timmy’s eyes, and Timmy felt the familiar flutter of butterflies he always had when Armie was close.

“You were amazing. Your performance gave me goosebumps,” he breathed.

“Mmm, same,” Armie murmured. He leaned down, clutching Timmy close, and kissed him until they were both breathless. Armie pulled away with a grin.

“I’m just… _so happy_ you’re here. I shouldn’t feel this giddy. I’m a grown-ass man.”

“You’re a grown-ass man who deserves to be this happy,” Timmy finished for him. “I feel the same. I’m so proud to be here with you. I just want to leave this theater with your arm around me, and let the world know we’re together.”

“We will, Timmy. Saturday.”

Timmy rolled his eyes. “Why do we have to wait until Saturday? What’s the point? The worst thing has already happened, and I survived.”

Armie pursed his lips, thinking. Timmy’s words were tempting him, but he knew how impulsive Timmy could be. He had to be the reasonable one.

“I just don’t think you should do anything without talking to Brian first. “

Timmy sighed. “Always Brian. Fine, I can wait five more days, I guess. It’s so dumb, Armie.”

Armie kissed his nose. “Yes, it really is. Okay, let me get changed and then I’m going out to do the stage door for a few minutes, and then we’ll get dinner. How does that sound?”

Timmy groaned a bit. “Now that you mention it, I’m starving. So _hurry_!”

*****

A few minutes later, Armie and Timmy were walking through the theater to the stage door, calling farewells to the crew as they left. At the door, Armie gave Timmy a quick kiss.

“I’ll be back in like ten. You’ll be okay waiting here?” he asked, his forehead furrowed with concern.

Timmy rolled his eyes again. “ _Yes, mom_. I’ll be fine. But if you take too long, I may gnaw off my own arm. I am so fucking hungry.”

Armie chuckled while he zipped up his jacket. “Okay, okay! I’ll try and hurry. I don’t think the crowd is too large tonight.”

Armie slipped out the door, and Timmy could hear the noise of the waiting crowd swell with the excitement at his appearance. He longed to see Armie interact with his fans. After several minutes, he began to get increasingly impatient. He pulled his baseball cap down on his forehead, thinking. _Maybe I can just take a quick peek_ , he thought. _No_ _one will notice._

He stood up from his seat and pulled open the door, just a crack. A rush of cold air hit him from outside, but he could only see the stoop and overhang that the door opened onto. He chanced opening the door a little wider and poked his head out a few inches farther. He saw a group of fans waiting, and the girl closest to the door looked up and her eyes went wide as she saw Timmy. Timmy quickly stepped back into the entranceway, but it was too late. The girl was leaning down to tell her friend, and the news that Timmy was there quickly traveled down the line of fans.

_Fuck that was so dumb. Armie is going to be pissed,_ Timmy admonished himself once he was back inside, leaning against the wall.

Suddenly, the stage door opened, and Armie was standing there, shaking his head with a grin.

“Couldn’t help yourself, huh? Well, come on then.” He grabbed Timmy by the arm and, before Timmy knew what was happening, he was pulling him through the stage door to the outside.

“Look, it’s Timmy Chalamet!” Armie said with a laugh. The noise from the large group suddenly increased ten-fold as fans shrieked in delight, scrambling to grab their phones. Timmy gave a smile and quick wave, then Armie pulled him to his chest, leaned down, and kissed Timmy smack on the lips in front of the entire group of fans. He pulled back and grinned at a stunned Timmy, the cheering of the crowd fading in the background.

“How was _that_ for a public declaration?” he whispered. He looked back up at the exuberant group in front of them. “Timmy and I have to go get some dinner now. Thank you all for coming out!”

He pulled Timmy back inside, laughing at the fact that Timmy was still in shock and quite speechless. He pressed him against the wall, nuzzling into his neck.

“Sorry, _I_ couldn’t help _myself_. Are you mad?” he murmured.

Timmy hummed in pleasure at having Armie pressed against him. “Of course not. I don’t think I am actually capable of getting mad at you, Armie. But just know you may have to answer to Brian in the morning, when pictures of us kissing are splashed all over the internet.”

Armie rolled his hips into Timmy, pressing him into a deep, urgent kiss. He pulled back eventually and looked into Timmy’s eyes. “Worth it,” he growled.

*****

Thirty minute later, the boys were tumbling into Armie’s apartment, carrying the large half-cheese, half-sausage pizza they had picked up on the way home, laughing at something Timmy had said in the elevator. As soon as they were inside, the unmistakable sounds of sex could be heard. A woman’s loud cries followed by Nick’s moans. Timmy and Armie glanced at each other with identical smirks.

“I think Nick has a guest?” Timmy whispered.

Armie nodded. “He’s been seeing the same girl for a few weeks now. Diane. I like her, but they are _so loud._ ”

The two men snickered like middle school boys, and when Nick suddenly yelled out, “Oh, FUCK!” their giggles turned into full laughter.

“Good for Nick,” Timmy gasped with a chuckle. He took a step towards Armie. “It’s actually making me a little horny.”

Armie set down the pizza box, shrugged off his jacket and threw in on the counter, then grabbed Timmy’s hips and pulled them against his own.

“Baby, a strong wind makes you horny.”

“Are you complaining?” Timmy attempted to wiggle away but Armie grasped him tighter.

“No,” he muttered as he bent down to suck on Timmy’s neck. “Not complaining.”

Timmy grinned and sank to his knees. “Good,” he said emphatically, unzipping Armie’s pants. “I wouldn’t want to have to stop.”

He pulled out Armie’s already stiffening cock, and ran his tongue around the rim of the head. Armie gasped with the unexpected pleasure from Timmy’s velvety tongue, falling back against the kitchen counter in submission.

“Fuck, Timmy. Your mouth is magic.” Timmy grinned and pulled down Armie’s jeans so they puddled around his ankles.

“Open your legs more,” he murmured. “I need more access.”

Armie quickly complied, almost falling over in the processing. He steadied himself on the counter, and then almost fell over again when Timmy took one of his balls completely into his mouth. He rolled it around his, then released it and did the same with the other. Armie clutched the countertop for dear life, gasping as Timmy pulled off his balls and swallowed his cock down to the base.

“How do you _do_ that?” Armie moaned.

Armie gasped a steady stream of expletives as Timmy’s mouth slid up and down Armie’s rock hard shaft. He would stop and tease his slit with his tongue, then take his entire cock down his throat again. Armie’s eyes slid shut as Timmy’s head bobbed on his cock, picking up the tempo, pushing Armie towards release. Armie felt that wonderful, familiar fiery surge gathering in his groin, telling him that he was close. He pushed a hand through Timmy’s curls, tugging them with pleasure.

“Timmy, I’m…”

Suddenly, a voice pierced through his sex fog: “Oh fuck, I’m sorry! I didn’t know anyone was here!”

Armie’s eyes flew open in time to see Diane scurry away from kitchen, naked herself. Timmy pulled off Armie’s dick, startled by Diane’s voice, but as soon as she was gone, he took Armie back into his mouth, increasing his speed and tightening his lips around Armie’s cock.

Armie had barely been able to recover from the intrusion when he found himself back in Timmy’s mouth, having his orgasm literally sucked out of him. He gasped in happy shock, and bucked his hips into Timmy’s face. His orgasm suddenly overtook him, his body shuddering with the incredible release, and he felt his seed shoot down Timmy’s throat. Timmy held in a gag, and swallowed it all down.

When he was sure Armie was done, Timmy pulled off Armie’s dick with a slight cough, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning with pride.

Armie took a few second to catch his breath, then looked down at Timmy, still kneeling on the floor.

He shook his head. “Fuck, I really need to get my own place,” he sighed.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the stage door kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised you all that I would not abandon this fic, so here is another chapter! I thought this fic would be wrapped up in a chapter or two, but it could be longer. So, enjoy a whole lot of fluff and a bit of smut. Happy Tuesday!
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support! I appreciate all your kind words and every Kudos! xoxox

Chapter Twenty-Seven

An hour later, Timmy was snuggled tightly into Armie’s side, snoring softly. He didn’t seem concerned about what was coming in the morning--leaked photos on the internet, an upset Brian, a parade of articles in all the gossip rags--so Armie reminded himself that he shouldn’t be either. Hollywood already suspected they were dating, but Armie’s dramatic confirmation at the stage door was going to put a giant spotlight on their relationship. Armie had to brace himself for the fact that his life was about to change.

He kissed the top of Timmy’s head, the smell of his curls and the warmth of his breath on Armie’s chest confirming what he never forgot: this boy was and always would be worth the trouble that his fame put them through. With a sigh of acceptance mixed with gratitude, Armie closed his eyes and slipped into his own deep sleep.

*****

Armie woke the next morning as Timmy was climbing back into bed from taking his morning piss. Both of them had powered down their phones the night before, not wanting to be woken in the morning by calls and texts. The apartment was still and quiet. Armie wrapped his arms around Timmy’s cool, naked body as he slipped back into the sheets.

“Morning.”

Timmy pressed into the kiss, then pulled back. “Can we go make some breakfast? I am _starving_. And we are going to need major sustenance to face this day.”

Having Timmy’s long, bare form rubbing against him was piquing the interest of Armie’s morning erection. He was about to suggest an alternate activity, but Timmy was already climbing out of bed, pulling on sweatpants.

“Do you have bread for French toast? Or maybe we can get bagels?” he suggested as he slipped one of Armie’s oversize tee shirts over his head.

“Timmy, going anywhere this morning probably isn’t a good idea for either of us,” Armie reminded him.

“Shit, you’re right.” Timmy bit his bottom lip, as if suddenly remembering their situation. “I’m sorry, Armie.”

Armie shook his head quickly, not wanting Timmy to feel any guilt or responsibility. “Timmy, stop, no. This isn’t anyone’s fault. It just _is._ Now come on, I think Nick bought some brioche bread. I’ll make us French toast.”

Armie pulled on some clothes and they wandered out to the empty kitchen to make breakfast. The kitchen seemed to jar both of their memories of the embarrassing moment with Diane the night before.

“It will be nice for you to meet Diana with her clothes on,” Armie said with a giggle.

“And without your dick in my mouth,” Timmy added. “Oh god, that was so mortifying. How am I going to face her?”

“I’m sure she is even more embarrassed than you,” Armie answered from the fridge, as he searched the shelves for some eggs. “Will you make some coffee, please, baby?”

Timmy smiled at the term of endearment. “Oh course, _dea_ r,” he answered.

Armie straightened up, set the eggs down on the counter, then walked over to Timmy. “Don’t be a smart-ass,” he said with a smirk, crowding Timmy against the kitchen counter.

Timmy licked his lips, looking up into Armie’s face. He kind-of liked this game. “Oh yeah. Or _what_?” he asked, more than a little interested at what Armie’s answer might be.

“Or… I’ll put you over my knee and teach you a lesson,” he replied with his brows raised.

His answer rendered Timmy speechless. He kept his eyes on Armie’s face while most of his blood was rushing between his legs at the thought of being laid out bare over Armie’s thighs. He swallowed harshly, his mouth suddenly dry.

Armie’s face broke into a huge grin. “You’d _like_ that wouldn’t you? Well, maybe that is something we’ll have to explore some night. What do you think?”

Timmy tried to shrug nonchalantly, but he felt his face hot and flush with the idea. “Could be, um, interesting….” he finally replied.

Armie turned back to his eggs with a chuckle. “Yeah. _Interesting_.”

Armie had never tried that type of thing with any of the men he had been with—to be honest, he hadn’t been with anyone long enough to develop that kind of trust—but the idea of attempting it with Timmy was more than intriguing. The image of Timmy laid out on his bed, naked and bound, suddenly appeared in his head.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he whispered.

“What?” Timmy asked, crossing his arms.

“Nothing, just…. I like the idea, too. That’s all.”

Then it was Timmy’s turn to smirk. “I bet you do.”

They heard Nick’s bedroom door open and then footsteps coming down the hall. Nick appeared with Diane trailing behind, holding his hand and attempting to hide behind his back.

“Morning. I’m giving Diane a lift home. Timmy, I think you _kind of_ met Diane last night?”

Timmy and Diane blushed simultaneously, but Timmy overcame his mortification to give Diane a sweet smile. “Nice to meet you, Diane. Sorry for the shock we gave you last night,” he said kindly.

Diane finally came out from behind Nick’s back. “That’s what I get for wandering around my boyfriend’s apartment naked,” she giggled. “I… I’m a huge fan of yours, Timmy.”

Armie let out the laugh that he had been holding in. “Even more so now, huh? It’s good so see you again, Diane.”

Diane gave the boys one last smile, and then they were gone. Armie turned back to the French toast. “Well _that_ wasn’t awkward,” he said with a small chuckle.

“She seems nice,” Timmy replied.

“She is. I like her. She is just _loud_ and always here lately. This apartment is going to be pretty crowded with all of us here all week.”

Timmy said nothing, but smiled to himself at the idea that Armie expected him to be there a lot that week.

Nick returned a half hour later; Timmy and Armie were sitting at the kitchen counter, eating breakfast.

“Did Diane recover okay?” Armie asked as Nick threw down his keys and went into the kitchen to see if there was any more French toast left. He picked up the lone remaining piece and took a bite.

“She’ll survive. But the whole episode got us talking and…. she asked me to move in with her.”

Armie looked up in shock. “You’re kidding? You’ve only been dating a month!”

“Five weeks,” Nick corrected him. “But we’re pretty serious already. Her roommate is always at her boyfriend’s place in Brooklyn, and she thinks that she will probably be moving out at the end of the month. It just seems like it might be a good time.”

Armie had a sudden melancholy sweep over him. He had lived with Nick for almost five years, ever since they had moved to Manhattan together. They lived together and supported each other through the biggest changes of their lives—adjusting to a new city, grinding every day at grunt jobs, then eventually finding success in their respective dream careers. Even though the idea of living alone and having privacy with Timmy when he visited was enticing, the thought of not having Nick as a roommate--not having him around to talk about his day and bounce ideas off of--was sad and a little scary.

Nick noticed the look on his face. “Arms, I’ll only be a mile uptown. We’ll still see each other all the time.”

Timmy reached over and squeezed Armie’s hand. He could tell by the look on Armie’s face exactly what he was feeling. 

“When would you move out?” Timmy asked Nick. He had always been really fond of Nick, and was actually a little distressed at the thought of him leaving, as well.

“The end of the month, officially. But I think I’ll probably stay there this week and give you two space to, you know… catch up.”

“You don’t have to do that, Nick,” Armie said quickly, feeling guilty.

“Armie, I don’t mind. Also, I know that Diane keeps you up some nights. She can be, um, _enthusiastic_ in bed sometimes. If we have our own place, she won’t have to hold back.”

As Nick turned to return to his bedroom, Timmy whispered to Armie, “That was her holding back??”

*****

After breakfast, the boys knew that it was time to turn on their phones and face the inevitable. They crawled back onto Armie’s bed and powered on their phones at the same time. Both phones immediately began dinging with notifications. Armie’s phone stopped before Timmy’s; Armie glanced over to see a dismayed look on his face.

“What are you getting?” he asked nervously.

Timmy sighed. “Texts and a voice mail from Brian. A voice mail from my mom. Texts from a bunch of my friends. Messages on the family Whatsapp. About a thousand Insta notifications. How about you?”

“Not nearly as bad. Texts from Tyler and Ash from last night. A text from my agent, but she thinks that any publicity is good publicity. Notifications from Insta and Twitter.”

“Do you want to check and see what’s on Insta and on the gossip blogs? I’m scared.”

Armie laughed. “There is nothing to be scared about, Timmy. At least we know what’s out there. We weren’t blindsided. Okay, let me open up my acount, hold on….”

Armie scrolled for a second, waited as the page opened, then smiled. He glanced over at Timmy. “It’s pretty cute.”

He held up his phone, showing Timmy the JustJared Instagram page. A picture of Armie in front of the stage door with his arms wrapped around Timmy, laying a kiss right on his lips, filled the screen. Timmy’s heart leapt a little seeing it… he had very few pictures of the two of them together, and none of them kissing. The headline screamed, _‘Timothée and new bf, Broadway star Armie Hammer, pack on the PDA at the stage door!’_

Timmy grinned. “I think I have found my new lockscreen picture.” He glanced up at Armie. “JustJared thinks you’re my boyfriend.”

“Well, what do _you_ think? Do you think I’m your boyfriend?”

Timmy hesitated. “I thought we weren’t going to rush into things this time,” he finally answered. To be honest, he _was_ ready but had no idea what Armie was thinking.

“This doesn’t feel rushed to me, Timmy.” Armie shifted on the bed, turning so he was looking directly into Timmy’s eyes. “I’m not dating anyone else and I don’t _want_ to date anyone else. So, well… what do you think?”

Timmy slid down the bed and turned so that they were facing each other on their sides. He reached over with one foot and rubbed his toes against Armie’s ankle. “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Armie Hammer?”

Armie grinned. “Don’t be coy. Yes, that is _exactly_ what I am doing. And if you don’t give me an answer, I am rescinding the question _and_ your blowjob privileges for the next 24 hours.”

Timmy gasped. “You wouldn’t! Okay, twist my arm. Yes. I will be your boyfriend. But only if you promise to give me free access to your cock whenever I want while I am here.”

Armie suddenly rolled on top of Timmy, covering his entire body with Armie’s much larger one. Timmy gasped in surprise, but recovered quickly, snaking his legs around Armie’s ass to keep him in place. Armie bent down, capturing Timmy’s mouth in a potent kiss. Timmy responded by rolling his hips up into Armie, an almost automatic response to having Armie on top of him. When he pulled back, Timmy was breathless and smiling.

“Timmy, you can have whatever the fuck you want.”

Timmy narrowed his eyes, as if to challenge Armie. “Anything? Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”

Armie pulled back a bit, putting most of his weight on his hands. “Oh shit, what the hell do you have in mind?”

“Nothing _that_ outrageous. Just something that we talked about doing… someday. Maybe one day this week could be that someday?”

Armie immediately knew what Timmy was referring to. It was something they had only talked about in the heat of the moment, Timmy gasping in the throes of passion that he wanted to fuck Armie one day, to find out what it felt like to be deep inside of him. But they had never had an actual conversation about it.

“Are you serious, Timmy? I mean, _yes_. If you want to try that, I am down for it. After Nick leaves, of course. He does not need to know _any more_ of our business.”

“I’ve never topped before, Armie.”

Armie did know that much. “And I have never bottomed. So it will be an adventure for both of us. One afternoon this week, after a long shower and, um, some adequate preparation. You can give me some, ahem, tips.”

Timmy burst out laughing at that. “I’m definitely not an expert, Armie. Fuck, this is an awkward conversation. Good thing you’re my boyfriend.”

Armie collapsed back onto Timmy, all 220 pounds of him grinding Timmy into the mattress. “Good thing,” he murmured into Timmy’s shoulder.

*****

The boys spent the next few hours returning calls and texts. Timmy looked through his tagged photos on Instagram, wanting to see their kiss from every angle, taking screen shots of all his favorites. He tilted his phone to show Armie a pic of one shot that had a particularly high-quality close-up of the kiss.

“I’m going to enlarge and print this one out. Maybe frame it and hang it over my bed.”

Armie glanced over it and smiled. “Excellent choice.”

Eventually Timmy got the courage to call Brian, who was surprisingly calm about the entire incident.

“It was actually good timing, Timmy. People already knew the two of you were dating. They have had time to get used to the idea, and have started to become eager to see new pictures of you together. The photos are getting a really positive response.”

Timmy breathed a sigh of relief. “After what happened with _Nottingham_ , I just don’t trust anything anymore. I think I know how people are going to respond, and then they do the opposite.”

Brian chuckled through the phone line. “That’s life, Timmy. Never, ever assume you know what people are going to do or think, and always expect the worst. I don’t want you to become a cynic like me, but I do want you to be a realist.”

“I’m trying, Brian.”

“So… you fled to New York. Can’t say I’m surprised. Your boyfriend must have been thrilled.”

Timmy laughed. “How did everyone know he was my boyfriend before I did? Yeah,” he glanced over at Armie who was occupied with responding on a text chain with Ash and Nick, “he was shocked to see me, but I think happy, too.”

“So, what are your plans for this week? You have no work commitments for once.”

“I know. It feels weird. I’m going to go see my parents tonight, and then spend as much time as I can with Armie. Maybe go see his play a few more times. Opening night is Friday, so I’ll go to that with my parents.”

Timmy thought about his decision to do theater back in Manhattan that summer, but decided it wasn’t the right time to bring it up to Brian.

“Then, I guess I’ll be back in LA early next week,” he finished, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice at the thought of leaving his hometown and his new boyfriend.

Brian snorted. “Don’t sound so thrilled about it, Timmy. Filming starts for _Sunset_ soon. That will keep you busy. Okay, I’m going to let you go now. Stay out of trouble, please? My heart cannot take any more surprises from you.”

Timmy chuckled softly. “I will. I promise, Brian. Thank you for being so cool about this.”

Timmy hung up with Brian and rolled on his side to face Armie. Armie sensed his gaze and set down his phone.

“How are Ash and Tyler?” Timmy asked.

“Just giving me shit. They’re saying that I planned this to get asses in seats for my opening this weekend. That wasn’t the plan, but now that I think about it, that could be a positive side-effect to this ‘romance,’” he laughed, using finger quotes for the word romance.

Timmy gasped, grabbed one of the bed pillows, and smacked him over the head with it. “You better not be using me for box office, you giant fucker!” he laughed.

Armie froze in stunned silence for a moment, then grabbed a pillow. “You better _run_!” he snorted. Timmy shrieked and jumped off the bed and, after a moment’s thought, opened the door and took off down the hall with Armie on his heels. He got to the living room and ran around the couch with Armie in hot pursuit.

“Jesus! Is what you two do for foreplay? Thank god I’m leaving.” Nick was shrugging on his coat at the door. Armie stopped on the other side of the couch, his eyes never leaving Timmy, who was bent over, catching his breath.

“Bye Nick. See you tonight.”

“Bye, Nick,” Timmy panted.

“Will I see you tonight, Timmy?” Nick asked as he opened the door. Armie waited to hear his answer.

Timmy shook his head. “Nah, I need to go see my parents. I’ll be back soon, though.”

“You better!” Armie responded with a laugh, darting around the couch and grabbing a distracted Timmy. Timmy yelped then giggled as Armie pulled him down onto the couch.

“Have fun, boys,” Nick called as he shut the door behind him.

Armie pinned Timmy down on the couch with a wolfish smile. “We can be as loud as we want now,” he practically growled. He reached a hand between them and pulled Timmy’s loose sweatpants off his hips with one firm tug. “I hope you’re still loose from yesterday.”

Armie slipped his middle finger into his mouth, thoroughly wetting it with his saliva. “Spread your legs,” he ordered Timmy. Timmy immediately complied, turned on by this dominating side of Armie. Armie slid his finger into Timmy’s hole. He was still quite open from their two sessions that day before, and Timmy whimpered as Armie pushed his entire finger into him, down to his second knuckle.

“Oh god, Timmy. You are almost ready for me now.” Armie pulled his finger out, then leaned over and kissed Timmy hard. “Stay here,” he said as he sprinted down the hallway to get lube and a condom, leaving Timmy splayed on the couch with his sweats around his hips. Timmy began to feel silly and wiggled out of Armie’s sweatpants and then, after a pause, took off the t-shirt, as well.

Armie returned a minute later to find his boyfriend completely naked on the couch, waiting for him with a grin.

“Fuck, Timmy. Look at you.” Armie gazed down at the beautiful man before him. It was times like this that he couldn’t believe whatever luck that had brought Timmy back into his life. So beautiful, so talented, so fucking sexy. He made Armie’s erection ache. Armie needed to be inside his boyfriend _immediately._

He opened the tube of lube and squirted a generous dab onto his fingers. He leaned down to push one digit into Timmy, and then another, pulsing and twisting his fingers until Timmy was writhing and begging for Armie.

“Stop teasing me, Armie. Fuck me already….” Timmy gasped.

Armie extracted his fingers and pulled off his t-shirt and sweats in seconds. “You don’t have to ask me twice, baby,” he said, as he ripped open the condom foil.

Armie bent Timmy legs against his chest, exposing his pink, gaping hole. He licked his lips and said a silent thanks, then kneeled down to line up his leaking erection against Timmy’s entrance. He pushed into him, slow and steady, Timmy moaning as Armie filled him up. It felt even better today than the day before, his body adapting to the stretch from Armie’s considerable girth.

He pushed Timmy’s knees to his chest, bucking into him slowly at first, relishing the sounds of bliss escaping from Timmy’s lips. Armie usually closed his eyes during sex, but he loved nothing more than watching Timmy respond to Armie fucking into him. His head was collapsed back on the couch cushion, his eyes half shut, and his mouth fallen open. He looked debauched with pleasure.

_I did that,_ Armie thought as his thrusts grew faster and more forceful. _And I could do this every day for the rest of my fucking life._

Timmy’s moans grew louder and Armie was relieved that Nick wasn’t here. Timmy had never been so vocal before, and Armie loved that he felt relaxed and safe enough to let loose. 

Armie was comfortable enough to join in. “You feel so fucking good, baby. Hot and tight. I could fuck you all day.”

Timmy was beyond words, sputtering expletives while Armie drove into him. Armie soon began to feel the wonderful, familiar beginning sparks of his orgasm building inside of him, burning and growing as his thrusts became frenzied.

“Fuck, Timmy, I’m almost there,” he panted.

Timmy grasped his own stiff erection and began to stroke it faster and faster, his eyes squeezed shut at the intensity of it all.

“Armie…” he gasped, as a thick ribbon of come shot out onto his belly.

The sight of it pushed Armie over the edge and his own body convulsed as wave after incredible wave of heat washed over him. He grabbed Timmy around his back, pulling him even deeper onto Armie’s cock.

“Oh god, fuck,” Timmy was practically whimpering, his own body spent and sensitive.

Armie bucked into Timmy a few more times, as the last of his release squeezed out, then he collapsed onto Timmy’s chest in exhausted euphoria. Timmy finally released his tired legs from his chest, wrapping them around Armie’s broad back.

“Oh my god, Timmy. That was… that was something,” he mumbled, trying to catch his breath. After a moment, he looked up at Timmy who looked exactly how he felt—freshly and thoroughly fucked. “I’m so glad you’re my boyfriend now. I don’t want you doing this with anyone else.”

He gave Timmy a soft smile, then fell back onto him, his head on Timmy’s chest. Timmy kissed the top of Armie’s head and whispered, “Me, too, Armie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you have read or have any thoughts on this chapter, please leave a comment!


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A first for the boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost at the end of this little story. I am glad that so many of you have enjoyed it. I appreciate each and every one of you!
> 
> Just realized that this chapter is over 4k words. Quite long for me! Some wordy smut, I guess!
> 
> We have guests coming this week, so I am posting this without a lot of editing. Forgive any errors or choppiness. Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Timmy and Armie spent the next few hours lounging around the apartment until it was time for Armie to get ready for work. Timmy moved to the bedroom, sprawling on Armie’s bed so he could enjoy the view when Armie got out of the shower. He was rewarded a few minutes later with a damp Armie, clad only in a towel wrapped around his tight, muscular waist.

“So, you’re going back to your parents’ place now, right? I won’t see you again tonight?” Timmy liked how Armie seemed disappointed at this.

“Not tonight. But… what’s your day like tomorrow? Maybe we could meet for lunch?”

“Sure. We could meet out, or you could, you know, come here.” Armie tried unsuccessfully to smile innocently.

“Or could meet out _then_ come back here,” Timmy suggested with a smirk.

“Yeah, or that. So long as we eventually end up back _here,_ ” Armie grinned, pointing at the bed. “I only have you for a few days, and I want to take advantage of every minute I can. So, are you going to call a car to take you back to your parents?”

Timmy looked at the ceiling, thinking. “It seems so silly to take the car for a four block drive. Maybe… we could walk?”

Armie’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline. “And face the paps? You want to deal with that?”

Timmy shrugged. “I’m used to it. It’s not that big of a deal. Maybe… I want to show you off a little.” He glanced up at Armie with a small smile.

Armie sat on the bed next to Timmy, tucked a stray hair behind his ear then touched his cheek with the back of his hand. “I actually would love to have you show me off. If you are okay with it, then I’m okay with it. It’s only four blocks, right?”

Timmy’s face broke into a grin. “And then I’ll have more pictures of us together.”

Thirty minutes later, they were stepping out of the elevator into Armie’s lobby, Timmy with his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. Both men wore sunglasses and a baseball cap. Carl wished them a good afternoon and asked if they needed a taxi.

“I’ve seen quite a few photographers loitering around outside this morning,” he warned them.

“Thank you for the heads-up, Carl.” Armie turned to Timmy. “Are you sure you still want to do this?”

Timmy nodded confidently. “Just hold my hand tight and smile. It will be fine. They’ll get a few shots, and that will be that. Are you ready?”

They headed out the door, into the bright afternoon sun, and turned in the direction of Armie’s theater and Timmy’s parents’ apartment. At first Armie didn’t see anyone and thought that they were going to get away without being photographed. But a few seconds later, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. His head automatically swiveled in that direction and, sure enough, two men had stepped out from under an awning and were taking pictures of them. Timmy didn’t turn but squeezed Armie’s hand, indicating he knew they were there.

“Just walk as if they’re not there. They’ll be done soon.” Armie had worried that they would follow them, but he twisted to look a block later and they were gone.

“Moved onto another subject, I’m sure,” Timmy said.

Armie turned back and looked down at Timmy. It was a gorgeous April afternoon and it suddenly occurred to him that this was their first time walking in public together. It felt amazing. He pulled Timmy’s hand a bit to slow down his gait.

“Let’s take our time. I want to enjoy this,” he said, unable to keep the happiness from his voice.

“You’re telling a native New Yorker to slow down? Yeah, good luck with _that_ ,” Timmy laughed. He looked over at Armie. “I’m teasing. Of course we can. This feels weird, but in a really good way.”

Armie leaned down to whisper into Timmy’s ear. “I feel like we are getting a lot of looks.”

Timmy smiled at his boyfriend. “That’s because we are. You’re ridiculously tall and pretty fucking stunning. You know that, right?”

Armie grinned back. “And it has nothing to do with the fact that I am holding hands with a movie star? I guess we _are_ pretty hard to miss.”

As they got closer to the theater, the sidewalks grew more crowded with people, forcing them to let go of each other’s hands. Armie walked behind Timmy and got a perfect view of how people reacted to him. Several people turned to do a double take, and a few others stopped completely in their tracks to get a better look at him. Armie’s heart swelled with pride. Timmy seemed oblivious, but Armie was sure that he was aware.

A block later, they were almost at the theater. Timmy noticed another pap lurking across the street, so they decided to go around to the back entrance. 

“Do you want to come in and hang out for a few minutes?” Armie asked at the door.

“I wish I could, but my mom is blowing up my phone. I better go,” Timmy answered regretfully. “Tomorrow?”

Armie took off his sunglasses, then reached down and moved Timmy’s to the top of his head so they could see each other’s eyes. “Tomorrow, for sure. And Timmy? I am so happy that you came to me when you needed someone. These last two days have been amazing.”

They stood looking at each other for a few seconds, each lost in his own thoughts of the other. Timmy was already counting the hours until he saw Armie again, and Armie was thinking of how empty his bed would feel that night without Timmy. He leaned down for one last kiss.

“Good luck tonight,” Timmy said when they parted. 

“So I will see you tomorrow. And Friday is opening night. Are you sure you won’t get sick of me?”

Timmy gazed up into Armie’s tender corn blue eyes. He couldn’t imagine that a day would ever come that he wouldn’t want to wake up to that gaze.

“Never.”

*****

Timmy put his sunglasses back on, tugged down his baseball cap, then pulled on his headphones, turning the volume up to drown out the city. He hoisted his duffel bag, which seemed like it was getting heavier, back over his shoulder and headed to the sidewalk for the three block walk to his parents’ building. He was only slightly aware of any stares, whispers or people taking stealthy pictures of him as he walked by, so thoroughly distracted by thoughts of Armie. Before he knew it, he was home.

His parents were happy and thankful to see him, after having heard about him losing the job on _Nottingham_ from Brian, and then the worry of not being able to get ahold of him. They had been relieved when Pauline texted them a link to the JustJared post with the message, “Guess he’s back in town?” but also annoyed that he hadn’t bothered to let them know that he was okay.

Nicole pulled him into a tight hug, whispering in his ear, “Don’t do that again. I get that Armie may be your priority right now, but we’re still your parents.” Marc stood behind her, nodding in agreement.

Timmy apologized profusely, then went eagerly to his own room. He tossed his bag onto his desk chair then fell heavily into his bed. It had been an exhausting 32 hours. He immediately slipped into a deep sleep, comforted by the familiar smell of his childhood pillows and blankets, and the sound of traffic below.

That night his father made his specialty, Coq au Vin, and Will and Giullian came over for dinner. Timmy basked in the wonderful intimacy of it all. He never realized how much he missed his friends and family while he was in Los Angeles until he was back with them again.

As they finished up their brownie sundaes, Timmy spoke up. “So, I have a sort of big announcement about my next project.”

“S _low Dance on Sunset Strip_?” Giullian asked. “That sounds like it is going to be such a cool film.”

“No, after that. I was supposed to start filming _Nottingham_ in June, but with that gone, I have an opening in my schedule. So… I’ve decided that I’m going to do summer theater. Here, in Central Park. The Public Theater reached out to me a few weeks ago about doing a summer production of Henry IV, and I didn’t think I would be able to. But now it looks like it might fit into my schedule after all.”

Everyone at the table smiled and offered their congratulations. Nicole clapped her hands together. “Oh, sweetie, how wonderful! Does this mean we get you back for the entire summer?”

Timmy hesitated before responding to his mom, feeling a flash of guilt. “But mom… I’m probably going to stay with Armie.”

Nicole’s face fell for just a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. “Of course you are. But we will still get to see so much more of you. I bet you’re excited to spend the summer back in the city.”

Timmy drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. That was the understatement of the year. “You have no idea, mom.”

They stayed at the table for a few minutes more, talking about the project, then the three boys excused themselves to go hang out in Timmy’s room. Giullian produced a very large joint, and they stuck their heads out Timmy’s window to smoke it. Once it was spent, they settled onto Timmy’s floor, leaning against his bed and desk, all three of them delightfully stoned.

“I feel like I am fucking 16 again,” Timmy mumbled.

“That’s good because you still _look_ like you’re 16,” Giullian laughed.

Timmy leaned over to kick him, and lost his balance and fell over. Will erupted in giggles, too high to produce actual words.

“Dumbass,” Timmy muttered, then starting giggling, as well.

“So, you’re moving in with Armie this summer?” Giullian asked. He always held his weed better than the other two.

“We’re not _moving in_ together. I’m just going to _stay_ with him.”

“That’s the same thing, dimwit,” Giullian snorted.

“No, it’s not,” Timmy insisted.

“How’s it different?” Will muttered.

“Well, it…. um… it’s…it just is! _Fuck_ , Will. You’re supposed to be on my side,” Timmy groaned. “We decided that we don’t want to rush things.”

“This is you not rushing things? Ok, Timmy Tim.”

“Whatever. Fuck you both.”

Will snorted. “That’s Armie’s job!” he declared, then started laughing hysterically as if he had just made the cleverest joke in the world.

Timmy gave in and started to laugh, too. “Damn, I’ve missed you two.”

He fell back onto the rug, too stoned to say much of anything else.

*****

The boys hung out until after 10, when Timmy got a Facetime call from Armie.

“This is our cue to leave. Say hi to Armie for us.” Will said as he pulled on his sneakers.

“I will.” Timmy answered the call, then turned back to his friends. “Hey, Armie wants to know if you’re both coming to opening night Friday?”

Will nodded. “I can definitely go. How about you, G?”

“Yeah, Jessica and I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Sweet. Ok, see you guys Friday!” Timmy gave his friends a quick wave, then turned his attention back to his boyfriend’s beautiful face.

“How was your show tonight?”

“Good, good. It’s all coming together. I think by Friday we’ll have ironed all the kinks out. I’m excited.”

“That’s great, Armie. I can’t wait to show you off to my parents and friends. None of them have ever seen you on stage. They’re going to be blown-away.”

“Babe, don’t set up such high expectations,” Armie laughed. “They’ll be expecting Olivier or something. Anyway, I am exhausted so I can’t talk long. But I just wanted to see if we were still planning on meeting for lunch tomorrow?”

Timmy sat up, suddenly worried that Armie was going to cancel. “Of course. Why… did something come up?”

“No, no. I just… can you come over here instead of us meeting out? I can make us sandwiches or something.” Armie licked his lips and looked away the screen, as if he were working really hard at being nonchalant.

“Yeah, we can do that. Is there a reason?”

Armie glanced back at the screen. “No. No specific reason. Okay. Then I’ll see you tomorrow, around noon?”

Timmy gave Armie a puzzled look. He felt like something was up, but he had no idea what and he didn’t want to push Armie.

“See you tomorrow. I… I miss you already.”

Armie’s face broke into a wide grin, somewhat reassuring Timmy. “I miss you already, too. See you soon though.”

Timmy hung up and went to bed feeling a strange mix of excitement and apprehension at seeing Armie the next day.

*****

Carl was on the phone when Timmy got to Armie’s lobby the next afternoon, and he waved him through without checking with Armie. Timmy's belly fluttered with the knowledge that Carl _knew_ him now. Knew that he was Armie’s boyfriend, and that he was welcome any time. A grin appeared on his face that stayed with him all through the wait for the elevator and the ride up to Armie’s floor. It grew even wider when Armie answered the door, freshly showered and smelling incredible.

“What are you grinning about?” Armie asked, even though he sported an almost identical smile.

“Just happy to see my boyfriend, that’s all,” Timmy answered, looking Armie up and down. “You’ve showered,” he observed, stating the obvious.

Armie opened the door wider to let Timmy in, his face growing slightly flushed. “Well… I did some pretty thorough cleaning this morning.”

Timmy stopped in his tracks and swiveled to stare at Armie. “Yeah? Like… everywhere?”

His body shivered with excitement as comprehension of exactly what Armie wanted to do washed over Timmy. Armie nodded and shrugged, a little embarrassed to admit the reason. “And I've… maybe gotten myself ready a bit.”

“Oh, _damn_.” The words escaped Timmy’s mouth before he could stop them. Blood was rushing to his cock as the vision of Armie slowly working himself open for Timmy flooded into his brain. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Okay. _Okay_.”

Timmy shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto one of the kitchen barstools, leaving him in only a t-shirt. He stepped closer to Armie, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, and looked up into his face, which was now more amused than anything.

“Are you going to be alright?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Uh, _yes._ Just… the thoughts that came into my brain were a _lot.”_

“Yeah? Well, you should have seen my thoughts while I was doing it.” Armie grinned, knowing that he was working Timmy up even more, and thoroughly enjoying it.

“Maybe you can re-create the scene for me a bit?” Timmy was fully hard now, and eager to drag Armie into the bedroom.

Armie didn’t answer, and instead grabbed Timmy by the hand, pulling him down the hall to his bedroom.

*****

Minutes later, the men had shed all of their clothing and Armie had retrieved the lube from this bathroom drawer and tossed it on his nightstand. They were sprawled across Armie’s bed, Timmy pressed against Armie’s side while they kissed deeply, Armie’s thick thighs spread wide open. Timmy let one hand explore Armie’s body, starting with the thick hair on his chest, across his wide shoulders, then down to his firm abs. Armie kept his hands at his side, letting Timmy take what he wanted, ready to give him everything.

Eventually, Timmy’s hand traveled south on Armie’s long body. He stroked his erect cock a few times, then reluctantly pulled off of his lips to grab the tube of lube from the nightstand. Armie watched his every movement with anticipation: unscrewing the top, then reaching back to place the cap on the table. Squeezing too much onto his index and middle fingers, then whispering “Fuck,” as some of it dripped onto the sheet.

“It’s ok, baby. These sheets are going to need to be changed, anyway,” Armie said. Timmy looked back up into his eyes with a soft smile. He reminded himself to just focus on one thing—Armie—and let everything else go.

Timmy pressed Armie into another grateful kiss, his throbbing erection rubbing against Armie’s hip. The friction sent a shiver through his body and he couldn’t stop himself from rolling his hips a few times.

“Save some of that,” Armie murmured into Timmy’s lips as they kissed.

“Fuck, you are just so hot, Armie,” Timmy moaned, but he stilled his hips and slipped his hands between Armie’s legs. Armie tilted his pelvis skyward, giving Timmy easier access so he could push his slim middle finger into Armie’s warm entrance. Timmy could feel that he must have taken his time opening himself up. His finger slid in quite easily, and Armie gave a mew of pleasure rather than discomfort with the motion. He drove his finger in deeper until Armie let out a pleased moan.

“Fuck, Timmy. That feels good. Right there.”

Timmy’s dick twitched at the sound of Armie’s blissed out voice. All he wanted was for this to be good for his boyfriend. He pulsed his finger a few more times, then carefully added a second.

“Is this okay?” he whispered to Armie.

Armie nodded quickly. “I had three in this morning. It feels good.”

_Three._

Timmy swallowed hard. Armie was ready.

He scissored his fingers inside Armie a few times as Armie bucked his hips. He seemed eager for more, and he eventually turned his face into Timmy’s neck.

“I think I’m ready, babe,” he muttered, sucking on Timmy’s throat.

Timmy’s heart was pounding in his chest. This was happening. He wasn’t exactly nervous, but he was a bit scared that he wasn’t going to last long. He felt on the edge already. He pulled his fingers out of Armie.

“How do you want to do it? Do you want to stay on your back or turn over?” Timmy hated being so clinical about it, but he wanted to do whatever Armie felt was best. Armie bent his legs at the knee and pushed a pillow under his hips.

“I don’t want to miss any of this,” he answered in a low voice. He was flushed and seemed a bit anxious. Timmy reminded himself that this was a first for Armie as well. He was more experienced that Timmy in a lot of ways, but not with this.

Timmy nodded, hurriedly pulling on a condom and slathering on too much lube. He climbed between Armie’s thick thighs, his cock heavy with want. The sight of Armie laid out for his taking was almost too much.

“Thank you for this,” he stammered, grasping his aching cock and stroking it a few times. Armie nodded, watching him carefully. Timmy took a deep breath and steadied himself with a hand on one of Armie’s knees. He tentatively lined his erection to Armie’s pink opening, moaning as soon as the tip rubbed against Armie’s hot flesh.

“Fuck, Armie,” he gasped, aware that he hadn’t even started to push into Armie and he was already seeing stars.

“It’s okay, baby. Take your time,” Armie reassured him from below. He reached a hand up to Timmy’s arm and stroked it. “It all feels good. Whatever you do.”

“It feels _too_ good,” Timmy agreed. He leaned in, pushing his hips and cock forward until the tip began to breach the first ring of Armie’s opening. “Fuuck,” he moaned as he slowly pushed further in, centimeter by centimeter.

Armie felt so tight and warm and _just right_ around his cock. Timmy thought that it might be the best thing he had ever felt in his entire fucking life. He wanted to live in that moment, literally connected to his boyfriend. He slid in fairly easily, going deeper and deeper, and he glanced down to check in on Armie whose eyes were still fastened on Timmy’s face. He was breathing slow and steady, allowing his body to adjust to being filled and stretched by Timmy.

“How are you doing?” Timmy managed to ask, reminding himself not to lose himself in his own experience.

“I’m good, baby. _Really good_. It feels full but… I like it.”

Timmy nodded and thrust his hips another inch, and then he was all the way in. He felt his shaft fully enveloped inside Armie’s body, his balls nestled beneath him. His blood was rushing to his dick and he felt so close, he had to pause to take breath and calm his body.

He gazed down at his boyfriend who had never taken his eyes off of him, and felt a sudden, incredible rush of emotion for him. “God, I love you,” he said without thinking.

_Fuck,_ he had not meant to say that.

“I’m sorry, Armie. I just…”

Armie squeezed his arm. “It’s okay, Timmy. I love you, too. Maybe it _is_ too soon, and we shouldn’t say it when you are balls deep inside me, but I love you, too. Now, can we just….” and he arched his back, pulling Timmy even deeper inside of him. A bolt of pleasure shot from Timmy’s dick to his every limb.

“Yeah, yeah,” he gasped, and began to thrust in and out of his boyfriend. Armie’s eyes finally fell shut, as if he was had decided that Timmy was going to be okay and it was safe to just lay back and enjoy the fuck.

Timmy fell into a rhythm, driving into Armie faster and faster until he felt close, then slowing down to catch his breath. He had been so sure that he would come right away, and he was proud that he was lasting longer than he had guessed. Eventually, he felt his orgasm starting to surge. He pulled out of Armie.

“Turn over,” he gasped.

“Really? Yes, sir!” Armie laughed and flipped over onto his belly, his legs bent at each side like a frog, his ass hoisted in the air. His gaping hole was on complete display, and Timmy took a second just to stare at it wonder. He smoothed a hand over Armie’s perfect ass, letting a finger slip into his wet hole.

“Timmy, come on, I’m close, too” Armie begged. Timmy grinned, kneeling behind him. His throbbing shaft slid right in, and this time, he didn’t hold back. He began pounding into Armie immediately while Armie moaned beneath him. His pleasure burned through him, building and growing with each relentless thrust.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come, Armie,” he cried, and seconds later, an orgasm tore through him, ripping him apart like a carnal hurricane. His awareness of anything else in the world apart from his own gratification was completely and wonderfully obliviated. A hot stream of come shot into his condom as his heart beat out of his chest. He rocked his hips a few more times into Armie, wanting to wring every last bit of the incredible euphoria he was feeling out of the moment. When his cock was finally spent, he collapsed onto Armie’s back, out of breath and fully satiated.

Below him, Armie had taken his own cock in hand and stroked himself to release. He turned his head to kiss Timmy long and deep, then whispered, “You better tie that thing off before you go soft.”

Timmy groaned and reluctantly pulled out. He carefully pulled off the condom and tossed it in the bedroom trash can, then rolled back over to face Armie.

“That was… I mean… wow.”

“I know, baby. I know.” Armie gave Timmy a soft, knowing smile, wrapping his arms around Timmy's torso and pulling him close to his body. “Me, too.”

“Armie… I didn’t mean to say it,” he mumbled into Armie’s sweaty chest hair. He didn’t want his words hanging between them, causing any awkwardness.

Armie pulled back to look at him. “Did you not mean it?” he asked, his face crumpled with concern.

Timmy bit his bottom lip, then nodded. “I just didn’t want the first time I said it to be while we were fucking.”

Armie chuckled softly. “It’s okay, Timmy. And I meant them, too.” He sighed with contentment, wishing they could stay in bed all day, but he realized it was getting late. “We can snuggle for a few more minutes, but then I need to get up and shower again. There are sandwiches ready for us in the fridge.”

Timmy said nothing, just burrowed even deeper into Armie’s embrace. Armie suddenly remembered when they had first dated, over three years ago, and Timmy had been a virgin. Armie had loved that, and had wanted to be all of his firsts.

_I missed a lot of them, but at least I got this,_ he thought with a smile. _And we have lots of time to discover more firsts._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you have read, or have anything to thoughts on the chapter at all, please leave a comment. Thank you! xoxox


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timmy and Armie meet their friends and family at Opening Night of Armie's play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go! I have the epilogue halfway done already, so I will be posting that in the next few days, and then returning to Farmie.
> 
> Thank you all for your support of this fluffy fic. It's been a fun ride!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The next two days flew by, with Timmy barely leaving Armie’s apartment, even when Armie was at the theater. He felt a tiny twinge of guilt about not going to see his parents, but he really just wanted to stay in Armie’s space, among Armie’s things. He snuggled in-between the blankets on Armie’s bed that still smelled of him. He Facetimed with Chloe, answered messages on social media, watched Netflix, and napped. Brian sent over a few scripts for him to look over, but Timmy couldn’t bring himself to even open them. He loved being in this little cocoon of Armie, pretending that the outside world didn’t exist, even for just a few days.

Friday arrived, which brought with it the opening night of Armie’s play. The performance wouldn’t be too different for Armie, other than the fact that he and Timmy would walk the red carpet together beforehand. They had planned that the premiere appearance would serve as their official “coming out” as a couple. _That_ was much more nerve-wracking for Armie than the fact that it was opening night. Timmy tried to ignore the pressure of their first appearance together, and instead focused on the excitement of dressing up and actually being able to be seen in public with Armie.

Several of their friends and family would be attending, as well. Timmy’s parents, Pauline, and Will were all going together, and Giullian and his girlfriend were meeting them there. Nick was attending with Diane, of course, and Armie’s California friends, Ashton and Tyler, were flying in that day for the premiere. They were all getting a huge table at Sardi’s afterwards for dinner. Timmy was ecstatic to have the most important people from both of their world’s meet for the first time.

Armie _seemed_ mostly unaffected by the upcoming events of the night. However, all afternoon he was a little more hyper than usual, which Timmy suspected was masking actual nerves. After watching him wander up and down the hall several times looking for his shoes that were right next to the front door, Timmy pulled him into the bedroom and pushed him down onto the bed.

“You need a release for some of that energy,” he declared, yanking down Armie’s pants with one hard tug. Armie’s weak protest turned into a happy gasp as Timmy swallowed down his entire dick, which was still soft, then sucked him until he was hard.

“Fuck, Timmy,” Armie moaned as Timmy licked around his tip, swallowed him down to the root, then licked back up to the head again. “This will not take long.”

Timmy smiled, his lips still tight around Armie’s erection. His head began to bob with increasing speed, and he wrapped a hand around the base of his cock, his fist mimicking the path of his mouth. After only a few minutes, Armie pushed a hand into Timmy’s curls and tugged.

“I’m almost there,” he panted, and his hips thrust up, pushing his considerable girth deeper down Timmy’s throat. Timmy sputtered, but he kept his mouth fastened onto Armie, drinking down his release as it shot down his gullet a moment later. When he was sure that Armie was spent, he fell back onto the bed next to him, turning to watch his boyfriend catch his breath.

“Better?” he asked with a satisfied smirk.

“Better. _Thank you_.” Armie turned to nuzzle his face into Timmy’s neck, his body relaxed, his mind now clearer.

After a few stolen moments of snuggling, Armie popped up, realizing how late it had become.

“We need to hustle. I’m supposed to be at the theater in an hour!”

The men showered and dressed quickly, Armie in a classic black turtleneck and chic peacoat, Timmy in a simple black Thom Brown suit. As they were getting ready to go, Armie pulled Timmy into the bathroom for one last look in the mirror, Armie’s arm wrapped around Timmy tight. Timmy’s heart skipped a beat at their reflection—they truly made a stunning couple.

“Not bad,” Armie commented, leaning down to run his lips over Timmy’s curls.

“Not bad,” Timmy agreed. “The press are going to eat this shit up.”

Armie chuckled at the truth of that statement. “They really are. Okay, well let’s go give them what they want.”

*****

Timmy’s towncar pulled up to the theater a few minutes later. A sizable crowd was cordoned off by metal barriers, and Timmy saw that several of the waiting fans held signs with his name. Armie noticed, as well, and laughed.

“The Timmy Stans have invaded Broadway.”

Timmy frowned. “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t want to steal your thunder.”

Armie turned to him, taking his hand. “Timmy, I was totally kidding. I am fully aware that if I was not dating you, the crowd would be a fraction of this size. I don’t mind. _At all_. If anything, you and I dating has given me more exposure, so how could I possibly complain about that? Now come on--let’s go make our official debut.”

The car had pulled up to end of the red carpet, and as soon as their door opened and Armie stepped out, a chorus of shrieks erupted from the crowd. Timmy was happy to hear Armie’s name being called out almost as much as his own, and he knew that he would have to warn his boyfriend later than he seemed to be getting his own rabid fan base.

The men clasped hands as soon as they were both out of the car. Timmy sensed that Armie was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the size of the crowd and the unexpectantly large number of media lined up on along the walkway, far greater than a typical Broadway opening. Timmy squeezed his hand and when Armie looked down, gave him a reassuring smile.

“You good?”

Armie took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m good. Let’s do this.”

They headed down the concourse, waving and smiling until they reached the first reporter. They had already prepared answers to the inevitable questions about their relationship, mostly culled from the truth with a couple of small changes. They met in acting school three years ago (they decided to not mention that they dated back then). They bumped into each other last month after one of Timmy’s screenings, then got a drink to catch up. The rest was history. No, they were not living together. Yes, they were exclusive. And (if any reporter was tacky enough to ask) yes, this was both their first serious relationship with someone of the same gender, and no more comment on that topic, thank you very much.

Timmy was relieved that the first few reporters mostly addressed questions to Armie about the play, with only a few forward enough to ask about their relationship, and a few others asking Timmy about his upcoming projects. The topic of their sexuality was not addressed, and Timmy felt himself relax as they headed to their fourth reporter. His phone buzzed with a text from his mother.

_We were going to go right in but were stopped by a reporter. Is it okay if we talk to him?_

Timmy grinned. His fans adored his parents, especially this mother, and he was sure that the media was buzzing about the fact that his parents were at Armie’s opening night.

_Sure mom. Enjoy_ , he typed out, then turned to watch Armie telling a story to an attractive female reporter. He was waving his hands as he spoke, his face open and expressive, relaying the anecdote in typical Armie-fashion. Timmy felt his body warm with affection as he stood to the side, quietly drinking him in.

_God I love him. And I am so proud to be here with him right now,_ he thought with fierce clarity. He suddenly _knew_ that he would do whatever he had to, to make their relationship work.

Armie seemed to feel Timmy’s eyes on him, and he glanced down, wrapping his arm around Timmy’s shoulders.

“And having Timmy here to support me makes it all the sweeter,” he ended whatever he had been saying with a grin.

“Well, you two make a gorgeous couple. Congratulations, and break a leg tonight,” the reported said.

“Thank you!” Armie called as they turned to the next person waiting with a microphone and cameraman.

Timmy’s phone buzzed again with another text from Timmy’s mom.

_There is someone here who really wants to see you both. Can you sneak away for a moment?_

Timmy was intrigued with who she could be referring to. He glanced at his watch, and saw that they had a few minutes to spare.

“Hey baby, my mom has someone with her who wants to say hello. Do we have time to walk over?”

Armie smiled. He liked Timmy’s parents and really wanted them to like him back. He would never turn down a request from Nicole if he didn’t have to.

“Of course. Let’s go find them.”

Nicole and Marc were still near the beginning of the red carpet, and Timmy immediately recognized the blond women with one long braid standing next to them.

“Gretchen!”

Armie’s face immediately lit up with recognition, as well. Gretchen held out her arms as both men leaned down to hug her. Her eyes were shiny with tears.

“Armie, congratulations! I hear such good things about this play. I can’t wait to see you in it. And Timmy, our big star! So good to see you. I am _so proud_ of you both!”

The men glanced at each other and smiled. “We have you to thank for introducing us, Gretchen. If you hadn’t paired us together on Timmy’s first day of class, this probably would have never happened,” Armie admitted.

Gretchen pressed her lips together, looking emotional. “You know, I always thought that the two of you would work well together. My two most talented actors. And then you became friends and I suspected… maybe more? But then Timmy moved to Los Angeles and that was it.” She shook her head in wonder. “I can’t express to you how happy I was when I heard that you were dating.”

Timmy grinned. “Us, too, Gretchen. Thank you again.”

She waved her hand at them. “You don’t have to thank me. I didn’t do anything, really. But please, make sure I am invited to the wedding.”

Timmy’s jaw dropped open at that, but Armie just laughed. “For sure, Gretchen. But in the meantime, will you join us for dinner after the play?”

Gretchen clapped her hands together in excitement. “I would be honored,” she gushed.

***

Armie, with his considerable height, spotted his friends in the crowd just off of the red carpet. He pulled Timmy past shouting reporters to say hello to Nick and Diane, and to introduce him to Ash and Tyler, who were excited to finally meet him. Timmy then got a text from Will saying that he, Pauline, Giullian and his girlfriend were already inside, having skipped the red carpet. Armie glanced at his watch; it was time for him to head into the theater to get ready for the performance. Timmy walked him in, gave him a quick kiss when they were out of sight of the media, and bade him goodbye and good luck. After a moment of consideration, he decided to join his friends at their seats rather than stay on the carpet without Armie.

Eventually, Marc and Nicole slipped next to them, the group of them taking up almost an entire row. Giullian and Will left to get more wine for them all before the show started. Timmy felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to find Nick, Diane, Ash and Tyler seated behind him. When Will and Giullian returned, he introduced everyone and the entire group immediately began chatting like old friends. Timmy grinned and watched, so happy to see everyone getting along.

The lights dimmed—the show was starting. Timmy sat back in his seat, eager to watch his boyfriend on stage, surrounded by their friends and family.

The two-hour play flew by and received a standing ovation at the end. Timmy cheered loudest for Armie, and Pauline tugged his head down to shout in his ear. “He was brilliant!” she enthused. Timmy thought that his heart might actually burst out of his chest, it was so full of joy.

After the play, there was a short reception in the lobby and the large group enjoyed more wine and chatted and laughed as they waited for Armie and the rest of the cast to come out. Each time a cast member would appear, the lobby would erupt in applause. Armie was one of the last to come out, and when his head appeared at the entrance to the lobby, Nick let out a loud wolf whistle and their huge, drunk group all cheered.

Armie raised a hand in modesty, ducking his head as his laughed. “Thank you, thank you! You are all too kind!”

He walked over to say hello to Timmy’s friends, then begged off to do a bit of networking around the reception before they left for dinner. He grabbed Timmy and pressed him into a deep kiss before he made his rounds.

“What did you think?” he asked. Timmy’s opinion had somehow become the one most important to him in the last few weeks.

“Incredible. You nailed it.”

Armie grinned. “And later I’ll nail…”

Timmy gasped and put his hand over Armie’s mouth. “I’m gonna stop you there…but not later.”

Armie laughed. “You love it.” He gave Timmy one last peck. “I’ll be back in fifteen, then let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

*****

It was almost midnight by the time the group made it to Sardi’s. Luckily, they had a room reserved in the back, and were seated immediately. Armie was the most sober, so he made sure that everyone ordered food as well as drinks. When the booze arrived, Timmy tapped his glass with a fork. He was drunk and he wanted to toast his boyfriend. He stood up and waited until he had everyone's attention.

“Friends and countrymen. Wait… no. Wrong speech. Ok, seriously though. I want to pay tribute to this beautiful, talented man sitting here beside me. When I first laid my eyes on him in acting class, more than three years ago, I thought he was… absolute perfection. Flawless and unattainable. He was gorgeous and by far the best actor in our class. All I wanted to do was impress him, and instead, I annoyed him. Which won’t come as a surprise to anyone here who knew me at 18. But, to my shock, he gave me a chance. He saw past my immaturity, and he actually _liked_ me. I have no idea why, but he did.

“But then… as all of you know, I royally fucked that up. I took the best thing that I had and I tossed it away, and moved to _fucking_ L.A. And then I regretted it. _Immediately_. Just ask Will! Right, Will? I drove him crazy. ANYWAY, I thought that was it, it was over, we were over. I had messed up and I was just going to have to live with it. I was fucking heartbroken--oh, _sorry_ mom. Fricking hearbroken. _BUT_ , then fate intervened, and just like in some cheesy fan fic, Armie showed up at my film screening one night last month. I thought he was a hallucination, I really did. But he was real, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have him back in my life.”

Timmy looked down at Armie, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. “I love you, Armie. I know we just started saying it. Haha, should I tell _that_ story? Okay, no. I guess not. But I am a _bit_ drunk… shut-up, Pauline! Just a bit!... and I want everyone here to know that I love you and I am so fucking proud of you, and I can’t wait to take you home tonight and… well, I’m not drunk enough to finish THAT sentence. So everyone raise your glass and cheers! To Armie and the start of a brilliant career!”

Timmy raised his glass, and the room toasted to Armie, the play, and the entire night. The food began to arrive, just in time as everyone had gotten progressively more inebriated, and the group of thirteen tore into the food like lions fighting over a fallen gazelle.

*****

The group finished dinner sometime after 2am and reluctantly dispersed after lengthy hugs and kisses goodbye. Timmy and Armie promised to have Gretchen and her girlfriend over for dinner, and then they made plans with Ash and Tyler for brunch the next day. Timmy promised his parents one more dinner before he flew back to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Armie and Timmy decided the streets were deserted enough to walk back to Armie’s place. Nick and Diane had slipped away before dessert came; Armie whispered to Timmy after they left that that they probably wanted to sneak in some loud sex before Timmy and Armie got home.

Armie suddenly remembered that he had a message from his agent that he hadn’t had a chance to check yet. He stopped walking so he could listen to it, worried that if he didn’t do it now, he would forget in the morning. As he listened, Timmy watched his face morph from neutral dispassion to confusion to shock and eventually, ecstasy. He hung up his phone with a huge grin spread across his face.

“What? What is it, Armie?” Timmy was dying to know what was making Armie’s face transform that way.

“You’re not going to fucking believe this, babe. I got offered a small part in the next _Marvel_ movie. It starts filming in October!”

Armie grabbed Timmy, swinging him around in a circle right there on the sidewalk. Timmy was so excited for him, but also wondered what the part was going to mean for the two of them. He returned Armie’s hug and whispered in his ear, “It’s starting, baby. It’s your turn. I am so proud of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you have read, or have any thoughts at all about this chapter, please post a comment. Thank you!


	30. Chapter Thirty: Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the end of our boys' story. A lot happens here, so I won't spoil any of it in the summary :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been an incredible journey, writing this fic! I started it with a half-baked idea, on a whim, and somehow it turned into my most popular fic. Thank you SO MUCH to all my loyal readers. I appreciate every set of eyeballs, every Kudos, every comment, here and on the FB page and on my Tumblr and Insta accounts. You all ROCK!
> 
> I will be returning to Farmie mostly now, and perhaps starting a new Eliver fic? :D

Chapter Thirty

EPILOGUE

January, five years later

The Hammer/Chalamet Manhattan residence

10:32am

Armie dragged himself slowly out of bed, careful not to wake his sleeping husband with any sudden movement. They had been up early that morning waiting for the Oscar nominations to be announced, and Timmy was emotionally spent. Brian had assured Timmy that he was a lock for his role in the Bob Dylan bio-pic, but Timmy never took anything for granted. Two Oscar nominations and one win later, and he still got nervous on the morning that each year’s nominees were announced.

The men had quietly celebrated his nod with a glass of champagne, then Timmy had immediately passed out. He had been tossing and turning the entire night before and Armie knew his sleep quality had been terrible. Luckily, besides answering congratulatory messages and calls, and maybe granting a few phone interviews, Timmy had nothing on his plate that day for once. Armie planned to let him sleep as long as he could.

The couple had ten days together before Armie returned to their Santa Monica home for a few weeks while he filmed reshoots for the latest installment in his Multiple Man franchise. The small role he had won five years prior as a bit player in the Marvel film had evolved into its very own juggernaut, with Armie’s character as the tentpole. That meant that two things: one, that Armie was often gone for filming, promotions, and other commitments for the Marvel machine, and two, all the Marvel money that he brought in meant that Timmy could pursue as much theater and independent and art house films as he wanted. Armie was happy to see his husband thrive artistically.

Armie slipped out of the bedroom and down the long hall to their kitchen. He could smell coffee brewing and was thankful that Matthew, their house assistant, was already there to help out for the day. Armie had decided earlier to surprise Timmy with his favorite bagels, and he was happy to be able send Matthew out into the frigid winter morning to retrieve those.

Matthew was at the kitchen table hunched over his phone when Armie walked in. He was a skinny blond kid, an aspiring theater actor who (in Armie’s opinion) had more ambition than talent. But he was an excellent assistant, and very discrete--which was the most important attribute an assistant could have, as far as Armie was concerned.

“Good morning, Matt. Thank you for making coffee,” Armie said with a grateful smile as he grabbed a mug from the cupboard.

“Good morning. Hey, congrats to Timmy on the Oscar nod. Is he still sleeping?”

“He is. He was up all night, so I’m going to let him stay in bed as long as he wants. I need you to run a few errands for me before he gets up. I’ll send the list over to... oh, good morning, Chloe!”

The men both turned in her direction as Chloe waddled into the kitchen, her huge 8-month pregnant belly leading the way through the door. Her hair was sticking out in ten different directions at once, and she looked exhausted.

“Good morning, Chloe. Can I make you some tea?” Matthew asked, his face furrowed with concern.

“How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Would you like some toast?” Armie hurried over to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Chloe rolled her eyes with agitation. “I’m _fine._ It’s just hard to get any sleep when you have two tiny otters wrestling in your uterus. _Why_ are they so active at night? Ugh, I would give _anything_ for a giant espresso right now.”

Armie chuckled at Chloe’s dramatics. It had taken some time to get used to her living with them, but he had grown very fond of her in the last few months. She took Armie’s hand and lay it gently on her tummy. “They’re moving right now. Can you feel them?”

Armie stood still for a moment, concentrating on her stomach. His eyes went wide with awe. “I do! _Wow._ I will never get used to that. It’s amazing. _You’re_ amazing, Chloe.”

“I know. I really am,” she nodded solemnly in agreement. “I’m amazing and I am fucking _STARVING._ So, _yes_ to that toast, maybe with some raspberry jam?” She glanced around the kitchen. “Is Timmy still sleeping? That bum.”

“We were up early for the nomination announcements this morning. He…”

“Oh _fuck_! I totally forgot! I am a terrible friend. Did he get nominated?”

Armie pulled his hand off her tummy with a grin. “Of course he did. And no, you are not. You just have a lot on your mind. I’m going to get him bagels this morning if you want one, too. Well, _Matt_ is going to get bagels this morning. I’m going to stay here and wait for Timmy to wake.”

Armie busied himself making Chloe some toast, and while he was at it, he put on some water for tea, just in case she changed her mind. Ever since she had offered to carry Timmy and Armie’s baby almost a year ago, after one long late-night drunken conversation between the three of them, Armie had pretty much kissed her ass non-stop. The fact that Chloe had put her own blossoming film career on hold made the sacrifice all the more astonishing. Having a baby of their own was something that Armie had wanted so badly for him and Timmy for the three years they’d been married, and he had never thought that it would happen. Yet here they were, four short weeks away from the arrival of not one, but _two_ healthy baby girls.

Matt soon left to get the bagels and some more champagne, and Chloe was comfortable at the kitchen table with her toast and tea. Armie wandered into the next room and pulled open the living room drapes to reveal a view of Central Park from 32 floors up that never failed to take his breath away. He took a moment to appreciate the snow-covered tree tops and skyscrapers in the distance, then decided to bite the bullet and check his phone.

He fell onto their sofa while his phone came alive with ping after ping of incoming texts, and then endless swooshes of incoming emails. He checked the texts first, glancing down at mostly-familiar names and numbers: posts on the group chat he was on with Timmy, Will, and Guillian, and then his other group chat with Timmy, Ash, Tyler, and Nick. A few from ex-castmates and co-stars from various plays and movies, and his current co-stars from this Multiple Man franchise. A text from his dad and Misty, and another from Viktor--but of course, none from his mother. She hadn’t even attended their wedding, why would she congratulate his husband on his third Oscar nomination?

Armie sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed with the task of responding to people, but knew he should do it because Timmy might not get around to it today. He started to type out a response to his dad when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and then even softer lips on his neck. Armie relished the chill that spread across his throat and shoulders from the tickle of Timmy’s straggly three-day old beard.

“Were you going to let me sleep all day?” Timmy murmured against Armie’s neck, his voice still groggy from sleep.

“Hey you,” Armie turned to face him, still standing behind the couch. “You needed the rest. Come, sit.”

With that, Armie grabbed Timmy’s arm and pulled him around the edge of the couch, and then onto his lap. Timmy had thrown on his bathrobe, and Armie immediately wondered if he was naked underneath. Five years into their relationship, and Timmy’s lithe body still never failed to entice him. He leaned down to kiss the triangle of skin visible where the two sides of his robe overlapped.

“Whatcha got going on underneath?” he teased between kisses.

Timmy giggled and seemed to consider showing Armie, but then remembered that their apartment was no longer just theirs. “Hold on. Where’s Chloe? And is Matt here yet?”

Armie sat up, having honestly forgotten about Chloe’s existence in their home for a moment, as well. Lamenting the loss of their ability to have sex in any room, at any given moment.

He sighed in defeat. “Matt is running errands, but Chloe is up. She’s in the kitchen having breakfast.”

Timmy sulked for a moment, but then forced himself to recover. He was the one who convinced Armie to let her move in for her last trimester, just in case.

“We could go back to the bedroom?” Timmy suggested, but they both sensed that the moment had already passed.

Armie hugged Timmy tight to his chest, talking into his shoulder. “I love having her here, Timmy. I really do. But we need to get a hotel room or _something_. We have four weeks before our lives change forever, and our sex life comes to a screeching halt. We should be fucking like… every _day_! And having a roommate has _not_ been conducive to that.”

Timmy nodded in agreement. They still had plenty of quiet, vanilla bedroom sex, but they were always too aware that Chloe was in the next room over.

“I’m booking a room this weekend,” Timmy declared. “And you can bring the ropes.”

“Yeah? And the blindfold?” Armie asked with a grin.

“Of course. And the blindfold.”

Armie pressed his lips to Timmy’s in a fierce, grateful kiss. He loved his husband with every cell in his body.

*****

The boys camped out in the living room for the entire day, responding to congratulatory messages and phone calls. Matt brought them a full spread of bagels, cream cheese and lox, and made a huge carafe of mimosas, so they were set for the day. Timmy tasked Matt with responding to some of the smaller media outlets, and Chloe even pitched in for a few minutes until she declared that she needed a nap.

Nick called late in the day, asking if he, Diane and baby Sam could stop by with Thai and more champagne. Timmy announced that if he drank another sip of champagne, it was all coming back up again.

“Yes to the pad see ew, no to the champagne. Timmy has overindulged. You know he is still a lightweight,” Armie answered, laughing as his buzzed husband threw a pillow at him.

“You think he’s a light weight now? Wait until your baby is almost a year old. We don’t ever have the time or energy to get drunk anymore,” Nick warned him.

“I know. You two are no fun now,” Armie agreed.

“Yup. And that is your future, Arms. Get ready. Okay, we’ll be there in a bit.”

Thirty minute later, the Delli Santis had arrived with their arms full of take-out bags. Timmy carefully woke up Chloe, knowing that there was no way she would want to sleep through food or the chance to see little Sam. She loved babies, and she was almost as excited to be an auntie to the twin girls as she was to get them out of her body.

They all settled around Timmy and Armie’s giant dining room table, passing around plates, chopsticks and take-out containers. Nick again offered his congrats to Timmy on his nomination, and then the talk turned to his new play, which was set to debut at the Cort Theater that summer. Nick had become an in-demand playwright ever since his last play had won a Tony two years ago.

“And I haven’t told you the best part yet,” Nick said with a sly smile.

Armie stayed silent, but he had a huge grin on his face, as well, as if he already knew what Nick was going to say. Timmy leaned forward with anticipation; he couldn’t wait to see Nick’s new work.

“I’ve scored an A-list actor to play the lead. Someone really in- demand. I didn’t think we could afford someone of his caliber, but he has agreed to take the part for scale.”

Timmy’s eyebrows raised. “That’s great, Nick! Who did you….” Timmy paused, and looked over at his husband. “Armie? “

Armie couldn’t stop his smirk. “Yes?”

Timmy laughed. “Don’t be coy! Is it you? Are you doing Nick’s play this summer? So you’ll be in New York all summer?!”

Armie finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I had to wait until I got the official okay from Marvel, but _yes_! I am going to be here from June until September. Maybe longer. “

Timmy leaped up from his seat and ran over to hug Armie. “Oh my god, that is the best news!” He stepped back and playfully hit him on the arm. “I can’t believe that you kept this from me!” He turned to Diane and Chloe. “Did you two know?”

Diane looked sheepish--of course she knew. Chloe raised her hands in the air. “I swear I didn’t know, Timo. But that is great news. I can’t wait to see Armie on stage again!”

Timmy squeezed Armie’s hand tight. “Me, too.”

*****

Friday rolled around--the day Timmy had made a reservation for them at The Carlyle. He and Armie had spent the day shopping for baby supplies, traipsing all over Manhattan from the Pink Olive to Babesta, then ending up at Piccolini. They finally got home as the sun was setting, their arms laden with bags. Timmy set down his packages on the kitchen table, then trudged into the living room, throwing himself down on the couch.

“I am so tired,” he whined. “I need a nap.”

Armie put down his load and followed Timmy into the living room. “You know, Timmy, when the actual babies come, _you’re_ going to have to be less of a baby,” he warned.

Timmy pulled the couch pillow over his face. He was too tired for Armie’s teasing. Armie sat down next to him, rubbing his leg. “Do you want to cancel tonight? We can do it some other time if you’re too tired…”

Timmy lay silent for a moment, but then sat up. “No, I don’t want to cancel. We are running out of ‘some other times.’ I can rally. I just need like a 20-minute power nap?”

Armie gave him a soft smile. “You got it. Go lay down and I’ll get you up in a bit. No hurry.”

Armie worried at times how Timmy was going to adjust to changing diapers and late-night feedings. He had been doted on for the last five years by Armie and his various assistants, and at times still seemed more kid than adult. But they would have a nanny, and Timmy was very vocal about his excitement for the girls to arrive. _He’s 26,_ Armie reminded himself. _He said that he was ready for fatherhood, so I have to believe him._

Armie grabbed himself a beer while Timmy napped, then decided to take their new purchases into the nursery. Their apartment was big by Manhattan standards—just over 1800 square feet —but the twins would still be sharing a bedroom. They had decided on a Cottagecore aesthetic, with the room done in soft greens and blues, with farm animal prints and an ivy mural covering one wall. Just being in the room made Armie feel cozy and calm. He hoped it would have the same effect on the babies. 

He settled in on the nursing chair, looking around the room, trying to picture what it would be like when two living, breathing, crying human beings actually resided within its walls. It made Armie’s stomach flutter with equal parts anticipation and terror. He took another sip of beer and leaned his head back on the chair, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and a bit tired himself. He decided to just rest his eyes for a moment…

****

“Armie. Hey, babe. Wake up.” Armie’s eyes slowly drifted open to find Timmy crouching in front of the nursing chair. “You should have come to bed with me if you were tired. It can’t be comfortable sleeping in that position.”

Armie stood up and stretched. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” He cracked his neck in both directions, then leaned down to kiss his husband. “Anyway, if I had gone into the bedroom with you, neither one of us would have gotten any sleep,” he added with a grin.

It had gotten late, so the men threw a change of clothes, toiletries, lube and a few accessories into a bag and called for their towncar. Thirty minutes later, they had checked into the hotel and were on the elevator to their room.

Timmy turned to Armie, hitching their duffel bag up on his shoulder, then wrapping his arms around Armie’s stomach.

“I feel really good after my nap. I think you’re in _big_ trouble.”

Armie chuckled, pulling Timmy tight against his chest. His laughter vibrated against Timmy’s cheek.

“Really? And what exactly does that mean?”

Timmy gave a small shrug. “Not sure yet. But I was thinking that maybe I would use the ropes on _you_ , for once.”

Armie’s heart skipped a beat at that suggestion. It was rare that they used the ropes, ties, or blindfold, and when they did, it was always Armie doing the binding. He had been the one who had initially been attracted to learning about that lifestyle, and had done some research and sometimes even practiced tying knots. But he was equally interested in being bound, and he had assured Timmy that he didn’t need to be an expert for them to try. Timmy had always demurred, intimidated by the idea, but Armie figured that perhaps being at the hotel was making him brave.

“I would love that,” he murmured in Timmy’s ear.

*****

“How does that feel? Is it too tight?” Timmy’s voice was low, as he checked in with Armie.

He had Armie blindfolded and spread-eagle, face-down on the hotel bed, his wrists bound to the posts of the antique bed at the Carlyle. He tugged at the rope, wanting to make sure the restraints were secure, but not uncomfortable.

Armie shook his head no, not wanting to speak and break the charged atmosphere of the room. Timmy ran his fingertips lightly over Armie’s back, causing goosebumps to spread across his skin. When he got to the perfect swell of Armie’s cheek, he gave it a sharp slap, eliciting a gasp from above.

“You are so beautiful,’ Timmy continued, his voice still low and intimate. “I don’t know how you are even hotter at 30 than you were at 22, but you are. I just want to…” he slapped the other ass cheek, slightly harder. “I don’t know. Devour you or something.”

Armie remained silent, waiting for Timmy’s next move. He had initially been unsure how he would feel, completely surrendering to Timmy, but as he lay there, prone and helpless, he was growing hard with anticipation. He was at the mercy of Timmy, and he while he trusted his husband with his fucking life, the unknowns in this particular situation were nothing less than thrilling.

Armie sensed where Timmy was in the room by the small noises he made and the vibrations on the bed. He heard him walk to the end of the bed, where Armie’s feet almost hung over the edge. Timmy grasped his ankles and then the bed sunk with Timmy’s weight as he climbed between Armie’s legs. Timmy’s hands lovingly caressed up the inside of Armie’s thighs, pushing them further apart as they traveled north. Armie gave a small gasp when Timmy’s fingers brushed his perineum. His hands finally landed on Armie’s ass cheeks, gently pulling them apart for easier access. Armie’s gasp turned into a moan when he felt Timmy’s velvety tongue begin to lap into his crevice, around and then into his smooth pink hole, teasing Armie with tiny licks.

Armie’s hips rolled into the bed. He was hard and leaking already, and feeling very needy.

“You want me inside you, don’t you? You need me to fill up your tight little hole with my thick cock. Is that what you want, Armie?” Timmy sounded almost gleeful as he spoke, and Armie knew that he was loving this role-reversal as much as he was.

Armie nodded quickly. “Please, babe. Fuck me,” he panted, his voice hoarse with want.

Timmy sat up, and the bed shifted as he climbed off. Armie waited, his hips rolling again and again into the mattress, chasing the friction. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so fucking horny. A few moments late, another sharp slap came down onto his ass.

“Enough of that. Save it for me,” Timmy commanded in a firm voice Armie rarely heard. His hips stilled, and he arched his back in anticipation of what he hoped was coming next.

“Fuck, Armie. How did I get so lucky?” For a moment, Timmy’s domineering persona dropped, and he was just in awe of his gorgeous husband, as always. But then he returned to the part he was playing, growling, “You’re such a little slut for me.”

The bed dipped as Timmy crawled between Armie’s thighs again, and this time he felt one of Timmy’s long, slim fingers, slick with lube, slide deep inside him. Not stopping until Armie cried out several expletives, then Timmy’s name. Timmy stroked Armie’s sweet spot a few more times before adding a second finger, stretching his husband, making sure he was ready.

When Armie’s gasps were no longer words, only groans of pleasure mixed with desperation, only then did Timmy retract his fingers and press his throbbing length into Armie. Despite his careful preparation, Armie was still extremely tight, and his breathing was labored as Timmy sunk into him, so slowly.

Timmy let his mask fall, needing to make sure Armie was okay. “Breathe, baby. I know it’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Are you okay? Do you want me to take off the blindfold?”

Armie shook his head immediately. “No! No… I’m good,” he panted. “It burns a little but it… it still feels so good. I love having you inside me.”

By then, Timmy was fully sheathed inside Armie. He paused to kiss the back of Armie’s neck, then he whispered in his ear, letting his lips brush against his lobe, “Then hold on, because I’m going to fuck you so hard now. Are you ready?”

Armie murmured his approval and gave a quick nod, his hands grasping at the ropes fasted around his wrists. He knew that when Timmy wanted, he could be punishing. Timmy sat back up on his knees, grasping Armie around his waist, lifting him a few more inches so he could fuck into him at just the right angle. He snapped his hips once, _hard_ , experimentally. Armie moaned, pushing back against Timmy, forcing him to go even deeper. Timmy took that as consent to keep going, even harder, and he began thrusting into his husband powerfully, relentlessly. His hips were a blur against Armie’s prone form, which was writhing beneath him. He felt helpless but awash with pleasure.

Timmy soon felt the familiar fiery buildup in his groin, the tightness in his balls. He was close, and he needed to be able to stare into his husband’s eye while he came. He paused, reaching high above Armie’s head to undo the two ropes purposely tied for easy release. He gently pulled off the blindfold, then pulled his cock out of Armie, flipping him onto his back. Armie was boneless and turned over easily, bending his knees towards his chest so Timmy could quickly re-enter him.

“I fucking love you,” Timmy gasped as his cock disappeared back into Armie’s hole, now red and pulsating.

“I love you, babe,” Armie panted, grasping his own dick and starting to stroke it to release. He was flush and sweaty from the blindfold and being on his stomach, but still undeniably beautiful. His mouth hung open as Timmy began to drive into him again. The rest of the world ceased to exist as they both yelled out, coming almost simultaneously, Timmy deep inside of Armie, and Armie in thick ribbons of release shooting over his belly.

Timmy thrust his hips a few more times, then collapsed onto Armie’s damp chest, exhausted and out of breath. Armie quickly reclaimed his normal role in their relationship, enfolding Timmy within his embrace, whispering soothing words, pressing soft kisses onto hair. He knew that being the dominant one for so long took a lot out of Timmy.

Timmy snuggled into Armie’s chest for a moment, but then lifted his head to look at his husband. 

“Let’s shower. We are a big, sticky mess.”

Armie chuckled. “We sure are. I feel bad for the hotel staff that has to clean up this mess.”

Timmy pushed off of Armie, standing up to stretch, catching a whiff of himself. “Ew. I stink.”

Just then, Armie’s phone vibrated with an incoming call. He turned to check it, but Timmy grabbed his wrist.

“Leave it, baby.”

Armie pulled away. “Let me just see who it is. Make sure it’s not… “ He glance down at his phone, and his face fell. “Oh shit, it’s Chloe.” He pressed the answer button.

“Hey Chloe, is everything okay?... WHAT? Are you sure? Okay, okay, it’s okay. We’ll be there in twenty minutes. Oh my god. We’ll be there soon.”

Armie hung up, his eyes wide, his face white. Timmy grabbed his arm, feeling panic spread through his body at Armie’s expression. “What did she say, Armie? Is everything okay? ARMIE, talk to me!”

With that, Armie blinked a few times, and realized that he wasn’t communicating. He shook his head. “No, everything is fine. Better than fine. Chloe’s water broke. Timmy, the babies are coming! We’re going to be fathers!’

Armie pulled Timmy into a tight hug, both of them suddenly overcome with emotion. Timmy’s eyes filled with tears. “Holy shit, Armie. We’re going to be dads….”

Armie quickly packed up their things while Timmy first called for the towncar, and then the front desk to let them know they’d be checking out early. Then they clasped hands and headed out, ready to face fatherhood, and the rest of their lives, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you've read, or have any thoughts at all, please leave a comment! xoxoxo


	31. BONUS CONTENT!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this isn't a full chapter, but I started this when I had originally planned for the epilogue to be only three months after the previous chapter, instead of five years. I eventually decided that that wasn't dramatic enough (and I am very happy with that decision), but I did get a bit written in the meantime. Nothing too interesting, but I didn't want it to die on my laptop. This is that summer, when Timmy has moved back to NYC for the summer to do some Theater in the Park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the mindless fluff xoxox

Chapter Thirty-One (Bonus Content)

_Three months after the end of chapter 29…._

Armie opened the front door and immediately tripped over a stack of boxed that were blocking the entryway.

“Timmy! I thought you were unpacking these today!” he yelled down the hallway. When he got no response, he toed off his shoes, put down the grocery bags he had been carrying, and wandered down the hallway to their bedroom to find his wayward boyfriend.

Timmy was sprawled on his belly across their bed, headphones on, engrossed in what Armie guessed was the latest Call of Duty game with Will. He nudged Timmy’s feet that were hanging off the edge of the bed with his thigh. Timmy glanced back and gave him the ‘one second’ gesture with his index finger. Armie rolled his eyes and turned to go to his closet to change out of his jeans into shorts.

A minute later, Timmy was off the bed, wrapping his arms around Armie’s waist from behind. “Hey, how was the store? Did you get me Cool Ranch Doritos like I asked?”

Armie turned in his arms and regarded him with an arched eyebrow. “You get nothing until you unpack those boxes. They’ve been sitting in the living room for two days now, Timmy, and I keep tripping over them. You promised me you would do it today.”

It was Timmy’s turn to roll his yes. “It’s only been a day and a half! And I _did_ unpack one box, but then Will called wanting to play, and it _is_ Saturday… I swear I’ll unpack the rest of them after lunch.” He looked up at Armie with doe-eyes. “Don’t be mad, Armie. Hey, this is my last free weekend before rehearsals start. If I want to fuck around with Will, I should be able to!”

Armie had to laugh at Timmy’s adorable pout, and how easily (and well) it worked at getting Armie to back down. “Fine, you’re right. I shouldn’t be so anal about it.”

Timmy opened his mouth to make an anal joke, but Armie got to him first, lifting him off his feet and throwing him onto the bed. “Don’t even think of saying it!”

Timmy rolled onto his back, laughing. “What? I was just going to say that if you are in the mood for anal, I would be happy to accommodate.” Timmy grinned proudly at his joke. It seemed that ever since Timmy had topped Armie for the first time a few months ago, it was all he wanted and could think about. Armie wondered if he was going to ever get to top again.

“Yeah, well… maybe tonight,” Armie said with a smirk. “Come on, I’ll make us some grilled cheese for lunch.”

A few minutes later, they were on the couch, digging into their sandwiches. “So, you start rehearsals for Henry IV on Monday, and when is the first show?”

Timmy swallowed and took a second to think. “It’s so soon. The second weekend after that, so we have only like 12 days to prepare. And my first time doing Shakespeare. It’s all so intimidating.”

Armie gave him an encouraging smile. “You’re going to be amazing, Timmy. You always are.”

“Thank you, babe. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the cast, especially Gary Oldman, but I just feel like such a… I don’t know, kid? I want them to respect me.”

Armie set down his plate and turned to Timmy. He totally understood where Timmy was coming from; he would definitely feel the same if he were in his shoes. But he had to reassure his boyfriend that, professionally, he was one-hundred-percent in the same league as these actors. No question.

“Timmy, I know I’m biased, but the things you can do with a script and a stage never ceases to amaze me. You are a peer to those other actors, regardless of your age. Please don’t _ever_ forget that. I am so excited that you are doing this.”

“Thank you for always being my cheerleader, Armie. Yeah, it was worth the three-hour argument with Brian. Just being back in New York for eight weeks, even without the play, would have been worth it. It has already been amazing to not have to fly for five hours to sleep in the same bed as you. But then to _also_ be in a production at the Delacorte Theater? It’s like every actor’s wet dream.”

“I am so happy for you, baby,” Armie said with a soft, proud smile.

“Of course, now _you’re_ leaving _me_ …” Timmy then pointed out, his mouth turning down into another pout.

Armie sighed. The timing for him meeting with the director of the new Marvel movie was not very good, but he was only going to be in L.A. for a week.

“Think of it as an opportunity for you to focus on your craft without me as a distraction. And for me to finally meet Chloe and talk about you until your ears totally burn off.”

Timmy tried to glare at Armie, but he couldn’t hide his smile. “The two of you better say only nice things about me. I have my ways of finding out, you know.”

Armie nodded, his face mockingly serious. “I know. Your apartment is bugged.”

Timmy snapped his fingers. “Oh, that is actually a really good idea. Damn it, why didn’t I think of that?”

*****

After lunch, Armie helped Timmy drag all his boxes of clothes into Nicks’s old room, which now served as a guest room/office/walk-in closet for Timmy. Armie piled up a total of eight boxes, three of which were labeled “SHOES.”

“Why do you need _three boxes_ of shoes for eight weeks, Timmy?”

“Because different shoes go with different outfits, of course.” Timmy shook his head at the obviousness of the answer. “Not everyone wears the same pair of white Birkenstocks with every outfit, Armie,” he added with a smirk, then jumped out of Armie’s reach as he reached over to grab Timmy by the leg.

“Don’t make fun of the Birks. They’re comfortable!” Armie argued.

“So are my Adidas, but they aren’t _fugly_. Kidding!” he laughed, ducking to avoid the sock that Armie threw at him.

“No, you aren’t. But you know what? I don’t care. I like them. Now come on, grab the knife and open one of these up. I have to get in the shower in less than two hours, and I know that you’ll end up playing Minecraft with Will again if I’m not here.”

“It’s Call of Duty,” Timmy mumbled as he ran the knife along the tape. He pulled the long strip of tape off of the box, then held it up, regarding it.

“Hmm,” he said, almost to himself, setting aside the tape. He pulled off another long strip and put it with the first.

“Why are you saving those? Timmy… what are thinking?”

Timmy gave a small shrug as he pulled a third long strip of tape from another box. “Just… another activity that might be more fun than unpacking.”

Armie sat back on his haunches, regarding Timmy from behind the box that he had started to empty. He raised one eyebrow.

“Don’t tease, Timmy. You know if you’re willing to consider it, I am totally game. But not with tape; that wouldn’t feel good.”

Timmy balled up the tape and threw it across the room. “We’ll see. But… what would you use then? A silk tie? Satin ribbon? A bit of rope?”

Armie stared at Timmy, rendered momentarily speechless from all of Timmy’s suggestions. Then he chuckled and shook his head. “You are such a little tease. Come on, let’s get these boxes unpacked.”

But the image of Timmy bound by rope had been firmly planted in Armie’s brain.


End file.
